


By your side

by paarma



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: F/M, Just wait for it, Reggsy - Freeform, eventually smut, lots of posh people, multi-chaptered, roxwin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-15
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-06-06 21:56:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 37,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6771793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paarma/pseuds/paarma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reggsy bodyguard AU! That's all you need to know :D</p><p>(NOTE: Eggsy and Roxy are the same age! Eggsy is about 3 months older tho)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First impressions

The first time Roxy saw the young man she’d gone downstairs to fetch herself a glass of water. Thirst had woken her up in the middle of the night, and after putting on her white furry slippers she’d wandered into the long, dark corridors of the Morton mansion. She must have looked like a ghost in her white silk nightgown, loose brown locks cascading down her shoulders. It was eerily quiet, with a silver moonlight casting shadows on the old paintings on the walls. 

She eventually reached the wide marble stairs that led downstairs. They were her favorite part of the house, as in her mind they resembled those in the mansion from _Gone with the Wind_. While walking downstairs, Roxy thought about how much she loved her family’s home; tall white pillars and marble floors furnished with the finest Persian rugs and antique furniture. Indeed, the Morton’s had good taste.

As she approached the ground floor, she could hear laughter coming from the living room located on the right side of the stairs. Yellow light was pouring out of the open door, the smell of cigars escaping into the main hall. It wasn’t uncommon for her father to keep guests until late into the night, talking business or just having a glass of brandy while sharing a laugh. Normally she would just ignore them and go straight into the kitchen, but this time a faint curiosity stirred in her gut, and she decided to go towards the merry voices. 

Roxy quietly approached the open door, discreetly peeking into the room. There she saw her father’s usual guests, all dressed in their finest suits: his father’s best friend and business partner Mr. James Lancelot, the Pendragon brothers, Hector the banker, Tristan, Lionel, and…

Roxy frowned. She didn’t recognize the young man in a hoodie and snapback. Unlike the other men who were laying on couches or big arm-chairs, the mysterious boy was quietly standing behind one of the leather sofas.

She was staring at him full of curiosity, when suddenly a little dog, which had been asleep under one of the armchairs, woke up, and immediately smelled her owner. The tiny black poodle sprung up to her feet and started to run towards Roxy, yapping in uncontrollable excitement.

The men stopped talking abruptly and turned their heads towards the door. Roxy had now entered the room, having been discovered by the excited puppy. She looked slightly embarrassed, like a child who’s been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie-jar.

‘’Roxanne!’’ Percival Morton exclaimed, surprise in his voice. 

‘’What are you doing up, child?’’ His initial surprise had now faded and his voice sounded more affable. Mr. Morton loved his only daughter fiercely, and had never in his life been mad at her.

‘’Um, I just came downstairs to fetch a glass of water and I heard voices... Forgive me if I interrupted you.’’ She lightly bowed her head in the men’s direction, not so much as a sign of apology, but to hide the faint red spreading across her cheeks. It annoyed her that her father had referred to her as ‘child’ in front of the other men.

The men stared at her for a moment, until Mr. Lancelot, who’d apparently had a glass too many, started cheerily slurring and making small talk in an effort to dissuade the awkwardness of the situation.

‘'Look at my beautiful goddaughter! Roxanne, how are you? Hope we didn’t wake you up; oh, my dear, we were just talking business, and your father finally agreed to give us a taste of this fabulous brandy of his. Come closer! Here my darling, have a glass, just a small one…'’

‘'Lancelot...’' There was a warning in Mr. Morton voice, and he gave his business partner a sharp look.

‘’Oh, you’re right, you’re right, dear Percival! The girl is not yet eighteen, but soon she will, right? Your birthday is in two weeks, right, Roxy? Ooh they grow up so fast...’’  


Mr. Lancelot went on and on, reminiscing about the good old days when his goddaughter was just a wee little baby girl in nappies. Meanwhile Roxy was growing increasingly embarrassed, as she now noticed she was standing in the middle of the living room, in front of his father’s friends, in a very light silk nightgown. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to make herself as small as possible.  


Despite her embarrassment, she could not help stealing small glances at the mysterious boy standing behind Mr. Lancelot’s armchair. When Roxy had examined him from the door, she’d thought he looked a bit rugged, dressed very casually in a yellow hoodie, black jeans, and white sneakers. However, after taking a closer look, she now noticed the lad was actually quite handsome. He had big hazel eyes, a sharp jaw, and a lean, yet strong-looking body. The young man stood stoicly, with his hands clasped behind his back, looking straight ahead. Roxy noticed herself staring, and she quickly dropped her gaze to her feet, embarrassed. Lucky for her, her father and his friends were too deeply immersed in Mr. Lancelot’s nonsense to notice the inappropriate glances, and were now trying to take the bottle of brandy out of his hands.  


'‘I think you’ve had enough for a lifetime, Lancelot'’, Tristan laughed, trying to grab the bottle from his hands.  


''I will decide when I’ve had enough you Scottish pri...'’ Mr. Lancelot angrily dodged Tristan’s approaching hands and swiftly swung the bottle to his left. Unfortunately, Mr. Lancelot was so drunk that he lost his grip on the bottle, making the 50-year old Dutch brandy fly up into the air.  


Those present barely had time to gasp in horror, when something quite extraordinary happened. With a grace almost unprecedented, the young man who’d been standing behind Mr. Lancelot took a couple of quick steps to his left, and with one strong hand reached to catch the bottle.  


‘’Goodness gracious, Lancelot, you idiot!’’ Lionel barked. ‘’Do you know how hard that brandy is to come by!?’’  


‘’Easy, Lionel. Why don’t we all just calm down. This fine young fellow here just saved the night for all of us’’, Mr. Morton laughed, trying to make light of the situation. To be honest, he couldn’t care less about the bottle of brandy. He was far more interested in the young man who had just shown reflexes like Mr. Morton had never seen before.  


‘’Oh…oh I’m so sorry my friends…’’ Mr. Lancelot now looked greatly embarrassed, and he buried his head in his hands, rubbing his temples. His low mood didn’t last long, though, and he quickly sprang his head back up again, resuming his babbling.  


‘‘Oh, lovely Roxanne, I just realized how rude I’ve been! Here, let me introduce you to Mr. Unwin. Come, Gary, this is my lovely goddaughter right here…’’  


The young man had put the bottle down on the table next to Mr. Morton (who had immediately gotten up to store it safely back into the liquor cabinet next to the fire-place).  


Roxy approached her godfather and the young man standing on his left. With a polite smile she extended her hand to him, and the boy shook it while returning the smile.  


‘’Pleased to meet you, Mr. Unwin’’  


‘‘Likewise, Ms. Morton.’’  


Roxy could have sworn the young man had given her a quick once-over, but now Mr. Lancelot’s slurring was once again claiming their attention.  


‘‘Indeed…he is a fine lad this one. He started working for me recently, you see, ever since Matthew had that accident…do you remember Matthew my bodyguard? He got shot in the leg, you see, needed someone to replace him until he gets better. The bullet went straight through his…’’  


‘‘Lancelot! That’s enough!’’ Mr. Morton’s voiced resonated in the room. He wasn’t someone who lost his patience easily, but tonight he was being thoroughly tested. ''There's no need for gruesome details'' He continued, giving Lancelot a disgusted look.  


‘‘Oh, oh don’t worry, Matthew is fine, you know, it was just a silly hunting accident…’’ There was a look of panic in Mr. Lancelot’s eyes as he tried to explain himself, but he kept tripping over his words, causing everyone present even more second-hand embarrassment.  


There seemed to be no end to Mr. Lancelot’s nervous ramblings, so after giving each other a complicit look, the Pendragon brothers lifted him up from the couch, and between the two, started walking him towards the door, followed by Mr. Unwin the bodyguard.  


‘’Perhaps we should call it a night, eh, old chap?’’  


Mr. Lancelot didn’t answer Joe Pendragon, but instead kept on babbling while the two brothers practically dragged him away.  


One by one Mr. Morton’s friends got up, and as they walked past Roxy they all respectfully bowed their heads, wishing the young lady a good night.  


Roxy and Mr. Morton were the last ones to leave the room, and before joining the men at the bottom of the large marble stairs, he kissed his daughter goodnight and told her to hurry to bed. Roxy complied, and she quickly ran up the stairs, but before disappearing into the hallway, she turned around to look at the men one more time. Mr. Lancelot seemed to have sobered up a bit, and he now insisted he could walk on his own. No one tried to stop him, and her father’s friends proceeded to put on their long coats and say their good-byes to their host. Roxy was looking at the parade of black overcoats, when she noticed the young bodyguard looking at her. She turned her head to meet his gaze, and as their eyes locked he winked and flashed her the cheekiest grin she’d ever seen. Roxy quickly turned around and, embarrassed, walked hurriedly to her room. As she slipped under the covers of her ample bed, she realized her thirst was now completely gone.  


\----------------  


When Eggsy and Mr. Lancelot walked out of the Morton family mansion, Mr. Lancelot’s chauffeur was already waiting for them in the patio. Eggsy opened the door of the black Mercedes so his employer could stumble into his seat, walking then to the other side of the car to let himself in. The chauffeur drove away slowly, and before they exited the gates, Eggsy turned his head around to look at the mansion one more time. He’d been greatly impressed when they’d first arrived. He thought the house was even more grandiose than that of Mr. Lancelot; a white, 3-storey mansion with big, Victorian styled-windows and marble pillars going all around it. Eggsy thought it looked just like one of those temples he’d seen in his school history books, where the ancient Greeks worshiped the gods. But what had truly impressed the young man was what he’d seen inside the mansion…  


Eggsy had noticed the girl standing at the door way before the little dog had revealed her presence to the other men in the room. She had probably thought her ‘discreet’ staring had gone completely unnoticed by him. He didn’t mind the staring, though. Why would he? The girl was, in fact, very lovely. As she’d stepped into the room she’d looked like a Greek goddess in her white silk gown. Of course, they didn’t pay Eggsy to stare at his employer’s goddaughter, so he’d kept his eyes glued to the wall in front of him, only occasionally looking at her from the corner of his eye.  


They soon arrived to Eggsy’s neighborhood in South-East London. Mr. Lancelot hadn’t stopped rambling about ‘that damn, slippery brandy bottle’ throughout the journey, and Eggsy had stopped listening a long time ago. He thought his employer was an okay fellow most of the time, but when he was drunk he could turn quite intolerable. Eggsy jumped out of the car and said his goodbyes to the half unconscious Mr. Lancelot and the chauffeur, promising to meet his employer tomorrow at his house at 08.00 o’clock sharp.  


As he made his way towards the gray apartment blocks, Eggsy tried to remind himself why he had accepted this job. A high pile of unpaid bills had been stacking up on the kitchen counter of the Unwin residence. Poor Michelle was having a tough time making ends meet working as a part-time cleaner while trying to take care of little Daisy. Eggsy had told his mum she didn’t have to worry, that he’d get a job and everything would be all’ight.  


Unfortunately, the truth was that Eggsy had a lot of trouble landing a job, any job. Most employers out there didn’t want to hire someone whose record showed a history of theft and drugs. Jamal and Ryan had joked that he should become a rent boy; with such a pretty face there would be no shortage of clients. Eggsy had told them to fuck off, obviously, but he'd been lying if he'd said he hadn't considered it. Sleeping with middle-aged cougars and bored housewives didn't seem like such a daunting task, especially if it meant he could feed his family and keep a roof over their heads.  


But just when he was about to get desperate, the tall man in the Armani suit had come into the picture. Mr. Lancelot had found him standing outside of the Black Prince pub on a rainy Friday night. Eggsy was leaning against a brick wall, knuckles bruised after yet another fight with his step-dad’s friends, who’d been once again running their mouths about his mum. A cigarette was dangling from his busted lips, and his swollen right eye was starting to turn blue.  


‘’A bit of this and that?’’ Eggsy repeated the man’s words in a scornful tone, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. ‘’You’re not looking for a rent boy are you? ‘Cause they are all down there on Smith street’’. He took a long drag off his cigarette, blowing a smoke ring into the face of the tall, suit-clad man.  


The man didn’t react to the smoke clouding his face in any way. Instead, he gave out a hearty chuckle, a wide grin appearing on his face.  


‘’Don’t worry, your duties won’t include touching anyone’s genitals. I’m just looking for some muscle. Your official title would be that of a bodyguard, but… I may need your help dealing with all sorts of matters…’’  


Eggsy discreetly scrutinized the man with his eyes. He could see he was carrying a gun under his jacket, and judging by the way he carried himself, Eggsy suspected the man standing in front of him had military training. Having himself served in the marines, Eggsy was good at spotting the small clues.  


He told his mom he had landed a job as security staff at a local night club. She didn’t need to know the truth, all that mattered was that he had a job that payed. And he desperately needed said job. This time Eggsy wasn’t gonna let it all go to shit like he’d done previous times…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Ok so I hope some of the characters didn’t sound too OOC…Lancelot in particular lmao. I mean honestly can you imagine him saying the word ‘genitals’??? Just picture him saying it in a super sarcastic voice idk?  
> -Yes in this AU Percival is a first name and Lancelot a surname, hope that’s not too weird.  
> 


	2. Closer

Roxy wasn’t the naïve little girl some people liked to pictured her as. She was perfectly aware that many of her father’s friends were involved in… _questionable_ business ventures. However, she trusted her father, whom she saw as an honorable man with principles. Certainly Percival Morton would never get himself involved in anything sketchy.

That is why she was shocked to find out that wasn’t exactly the case.

‘’Roxanne, listen...’’ Percival tried to plead with his daughter, well aware that she was just as hard-headed as him.

‘’No! I don’t have to listen to you! I’m tired of all the lies’’, there were angry tears running down Roxy’s face as she frantically paced back and fort in their living room.

The outside world thought the wealthy Mr. Morton had made his fortune through careful investments and the revenues from his private consulting company, Cronos Corporation. Percival Morton and his associates provided thorough business advice to companies and private investors around the world, something which, indeed, had greatly contributed to his immense fortune. However, this was only half the story. The things was, Cronos Inc. didn’t provide business advice _only_ to honorable and responsible businesses. It had also helped a fair share of corrupt and unscrupulous companies as well as international mafias to manage their wealth, which often included tax evasion, money laundering, extortion, bribery, fraud, and other financial crimes. Somewhere along the way, Percival Morton and his associates had got caught in the crossfire of two competing international mafias. 

For the past hour Mr. Morton had tried to explain to his daughter the difficult situation, without giving away too many details.

‘‘Roxanne, please. You have to understand. It is for your own safety’’, Mr. Morton adjusted his glasses with his middle finger, something he always did when he was running out of patience.

Roxy’s shock had turned into anger, and there were no signs of the storm passing any time soon.

‘’Oh, really? My safety! Tell me, father, were you thinking about my safety when you became involved with criminals and mobsters?’’ Her tone was mocking, still pacing around their living room, unable to calm down. Mr. Morton was sitting in his leather armchair by the fireplace, trying to weight his words carefully.

‘’I am sorry, Roxanne. There is nothing I can do to change the past, but I can fix the present. I just need some time. And until everything is sorted out, you must have someone at your side at all times’’. His voice was firm. Percival was well aware of his shortcomings as a father, but he was adamant on retaining his authority. Keeping his daughter safe was his first and foremost duty.

Roxy knew that tone. It meant that the matter was settled, and there was nothing she could do or say. She hated it when her father treated her like this, it made her feel like a stupid little girl.

She yanked the living-room door open and ran into the corridor, almost bumping into that young bodyguard she’d seen almost two weeks ago. They both looked at each other for a moment, surprised.

‘’Miss Morton I...’’

‘’Mr. Unwin…’’

Percival had appeared behind them, placing a hand on Roxy’s shoulder.

‘’Mr. Unwin, thank you for coming so soon. I’m glad Lancelot will let us have you here for a while’’ He tried to sound casual, even after Roxy had shrugged his hand off her shoulder.

‘’I’ll be in my room...’’ She muttered under her breath. This was all too much too quickly.

‘‘Don’t be rude, Roxanne. Why don’t you show the young man around?’’ 

‘’Why doesn’t he just move into my room with me so I can never leave his eye, hmm? We can even share a bed and have pillow fights’’ Her tone was cold and snarky. She began running up the stairs, swiftly, before the tears could start running down her face.

‘’Roxanne!’’ Mr. Morton sounded mortified. 

The young bodyguard chuckled, turning to look the other way so his new employer wouldn’t see him smiling.

\--------

Eggsy certainly wouldn’t mind sharing a room with the brunette beauty. Just imagining a pillow fight with her gave him all kinds of ideas.

He quickly shoved those ideas aside, though. This was his employer’s daughter, which meant she was 110% off limits in every way. He was there only to ensure her safety, and he had to, at all times, try to respect her privacy. The last part was tricky, after all, he had to follow her around everywhere she went. He obviously couldn’t be there when she showered or changed her clothes (not that Eggsy would have minded), but on any other occasion he would be there following her around, like a shadow.

Lancelot had agreed to lend Eggsy to the Morton’s with a surprising ease. This made Eggsy suspect that he felt guilty about something; perhaps the current mess they were involved in was his fault. Mr. Lancelot hadn’t told Eggsy any details about his business ventures, but the boy knew he was involved in something dangerous. But like any good bodyguard, Eggsy didn’t ask questions about matters that didn’t concern him.

A housemaid helped him settle in a room upstairs. Eggsy had barely brought any luggage with him, just a rucksack with the basics (toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant etc.) and some clothes. Mr. Morton had assured him that he would be provided with anything he needed. As the maid closed the door behind her, Eggsy let himself fall on the ample bed. He laid there for a moment, examining his surroundings. The room was spacious and tastefully decorated with very expensive looking furniture. There were two large windows that showed the garden in all it's splendor. Eggsy was starting to feel drowsy, and his thoughts slowly wandered back to the young lady of the house. As cold as Miss Morton's welcome had been, Eggsy was sure her bad mood wouldn't last. Who knew, maybe they could even become friends, he thought, hopefully, as he looked at the blossoming apple trees just outside his window. And with that last thought, he fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Hmmm is it me or does Percival come off as a bit of a dick? Well he's a corrupt businessman duh what would you expect.  
> -Anyway, hope you like the chapter! Stay tuned for more juicy drama~


	3. The big day

Roxy had lost count of how many guests she had greeted in the past two hours. She didn’t even know half of these people, but they all seemed to know her. Every time she managed to get rid of one of them, another one popped right in front of her.

‘’Ooh, the birthday girl! Roxanne, so lovely to see you!’’ 

The shrill voice of yet another guest penetrated Roxy’s skull, contributing to her slowly growing migraine. Roxy had no idea who the middle-aged woman in a flower dress and big hat was, but she did her best at mindless small talk nonetheless. After all, Roxy was a lady.

‘’How are your studies going? Programming, right? Isn’t that a… _strange_ career choice for a lady? I mean… _computers_. My sweet Emily just started her philosophy studies and…’’

As the woman’s chirpy voice carried on gushing about her daughter, Roxy’s eyes started to wander around the gaudily decorated garden. She had to admit her mother had surpassed herself this year ( _It’s your eighteenth birthday dear! It has to be extra special_ ). In her mother’s mind, ‘extra special’ meant filling the garden with dozens of white, pagoda-styled tents, all of which hosted the widest varieties of foods one could imagine; seafood, roasts, desserts, cheese, exotic fruits, cakes, and so on. The ample garden had been decorated with little white and blue lamps, as well as countless of colourful, silky ribbons. Hundreds of guests had been invited, all of which had presented Roxy with the most extravagant gifts, from designer clothes to all kinds of electronic appliances, gift cards worth thousands of pounds, gold and silver jewellery, trips to France, Japan, and The Bahamas. All very luxurious and very nice. Roxy knew she had to feel grateful, and in any other situation she would have. But at that particular moment she found it difficult to even feel happy. It had only been three days since her father had laid down the news about some dangerous mobsters targeting their family, and quite honestly she was still trying to process all that. She felt guilty for not being able to enjoy her own birthday party and be the charming hostess her parents wanted her to be.

As Roxy’s eyes continued to wander around the garden, she noticed Mr. Unwin next to one of the tents, talking to an older bodyguard his father had hired for himself. Mr. Unwin wasn’t looking at her, but Roxy knew he was perfectly aware at all times of her whereabouts. Whenever she moved, he moved with her, discreetly, and always keeping a distance. He was very good, Roxy had to admit. No one else must have noticed how he followed her around. But she did. And it was driving her crazy. The idea of having hundreds of guests around her, looking at her and trying to talk to her, as well as having some around-the-clock babysitter stalking her was starting to make her anxious. She needed to get out of there, now.

Roxy gave the woman in the flower dress the most charming smile she could manage, and after uttering a polite excuse she quickly turned around and started walking towards the house. She’d barely managed to take two steps when yet another voice made her stop in her tracks.

‘’Where did your mother find all these people? I was starting to worry I’d never get a chance to talk to you today.’’

Oh, she knew that voice… 

Charlie Hesketh was a tall, intelligent, handsome young man, the son of one of the wealthiest families in England. With all these excellent qualities as well as his light charm he had won his way into the heart of Roxy’s mum, who now constantly bugged her daughter about calling him and going out to the movies or something. But Roxy had never been too fond of the boy. She found Charlie amusing at times, but she’d also noticed he had a cruel streak, often treating his servants poorly (or anyone he deemed ‘beneath’ him). It also seemed like his only interests were money, power, and polo, and indeed, those were the only things he ever talked about. 

Roxy was starting to feel nauseous. It was a very hot day and she’d been on her feet talking to guests for almost 3 hours now. She hadn’t even managed to eat or drink anything.  


Charlie was going on and on about the trip he and his polo buddies had made to Amsterdam last month. She tried to listen to him as politely as she could, but by the time he started talking about the red light district the last bit of patience she had left in her banished altogether. 

‘’It was so pathetic you know? All the hookers, young and old, posing in the store windows! You should have seen it Rox, such ugly hags…nothing compared to you’’ Charlie winked at her, his slurring slowly becoming more noticeable. 

Sometimes Roxy forgot what an asshole Charlie Hesketh could be, but she was grateful that he was there to remind her about it time and time again.

Her migraine was getting more intense, and she feared it was starting to cause her a panic attack. She felt like a trapped animal. This time Roxy didn’t bother to make an excuse, and she simply pushed past Charlie, almost knocking over the drink in his hand.

Charlie was about to call after her, confused, but instead he shrugged, and swiftly moved on to his next target, a young heiress named Elisa or Alicia or something.

Roxy walked quickly through the guests, and luckily none of them seemed to pay too much attention to her. Most of them were now immersed in deep conversations about sailing, or polo, or finance, or other things she didn't really care much about. A whole lot of them were hovering over the delicious food buffets set up under the pagoda tents. Indeed, no one noticed the young Miss Morton, except one pair of eyes.

\----------------------

Eggsy was bored out of his mind. He hated having to wear a suit on such a hot day, but luckily the many trees and tents set up in the garden provided some relief with their shade. What was harder to tolerate was the older bodyguard (George?) who was trying to school him about…body guarding. 

‘’You have to be alert at all times, you know? And it may sound easy, boy, but one simple distraction, one little mistake, can lead to a disaster. Don’t forget that, and also…’’

Honestly, the contract he’d signed just three days ago didn’t state he had to listen to the ramblings of some pretentious old geezer. Eggsy was about to tell George to go eff himself when he noticed Miss Morton quickly making her way towards the mansion. Without saying a word, Eggsy started to follow her, leaving the older body guard cursing at him for his rudeness. Hey, he was just trying to do his job, never let your client out of sight.

This wasn’t something Eggsy enjoyed. He knew the young woman didn’t want him there, she’d made it quite clear on the first day. He tried to be as discreet as possible when following her around, giving her as much space as he could. Mr. Morton had insisted he always stay by her side, and even though Eggsy thought that kind of surveillance was a bit extreme, he was sure his employer had his reasons. Either way, Eggsy wasn't exactly in a position to contradict his boss. 

Eggsy had thought about talking to her, maybe getting to know each other a little bit as Mr. Morton had suggested. Eggsy had soon discarded the idea though, since every time he had tried to approach Miss Morton she would shoot him and icy look which caused shivers down his spine. She was hurt, Eggsy could see that. And the worst thing you could do to a wounded animal was aggravate it further, so he let her be. 

In any case, Eggsy hadn’t had too many chances to see her in the past three days, since she had practically locked herself in her room. Eggsy had stayed in the downstairs living room for most of the time, feeling awkward and listening to Roxy’s mum talk about the birthday preparations. Feeling useless, he’d helped her decorate the garden and set up the tents. While in the garden, he’d occasionally noticed Miss Morton looking at them from her bedroom window.

As he approached the mansion, he heard Mrs. Morton call after him from one of the pagodas.

''Mr. Unwin, are you busy?'' As always, Angela Morton seemed delighted to see him, talking in her (slightly drunk) cheery voice.

''Well, I was about to go check on your daughter...''

''Before you do that, could you please help us open this champagne bottle?'' With a beautiful smile she eagerly handed him an expensive bottle of Moët Chandon. Eggsy could see where Lady Roxanne got her looks from.

A group of stepford wife-type cougars giggled as Eggsy grabbed the bottle from Mrs. Morton's hand and proceeded to open it. They were all moderately drunk, and wouldn't stop asking him questions: _Where are you from, sweety?_ \- _How does such a cute little thing end up as a bodyguard?_ \- _Would you like to work for me, Mr. Unwin?_ \- _Angela, where did you find such a handsome young man?_ \- _Do you want something to drink?_ \- _Here, try one of these lobster sandwiches, they are out of this world!_

\-----------------------------

While Eggsy was being circled by her mother's friends in the garden, Roxy had sat herself on one of the leather sofas in the downstairs living-room. A deep sigh escaped her lips as she placed one hand in front of her eyes in an effort to block the sunlight coming through the window. Her migraine was getting worse. She sat there for a moment when her eyes fell on her father's liquor cabinet. Roxy got up and knelt in front of it, turning the key in the lock. She spent a moment looking at all the different bottles. She had no idea what any of those liquors tasted like. Roxy suddenly remembered her godfather Lancelot and the brandy. She smiled at the memory of the bottle flying up into the air and being swiftly rescued by Mr. Unwin... 

Her expression turned sour. Ah, yes, Mr. Unwin her babysitter... 

Roxy grabbed one of the many brandy bottles, locked the cabinet, and hurriedly left the living room. As she started walking the big marble stairs up to her room, she remembered how she'd seen Mr. Unwin helping her mother in the garden. To be honest, what annoyed Roxy the most right now was how nonchalantly her mother was handling the situation. Apparently, she had barely batted an eyelid when she'd heard the more grim details about her husbands business ventures. How could her mother remain so calm in such a situation? Their lives were in such danger that her father had not only hired bodyguards, but he had even set a curfew for them. A curfew! Just when she'd turned eighteen and was finally allowed to go out. Mrs. Morton had sided with her husband, like she always did, saying it was all for the best, and that soon everything would go back to normal. Roxy needed to grow up and be patient.

Letting out a sigh she finally reached her bed room. It was sweltering hot, as she'd forgotten to close the blinds. She made her way into the bathroom adjoined to her room and sat on the cold tile floor. Popping the lid of the brandy bottle, she took a long gulp from it, letting the liquor burn her throat. It was too sweet for her taste, but warm and soothing nonetheless.

Roxy thought about the afternoon before her birthday. She had gone shopping for a dress with her girlfriends, and of course Mr. Unwin had tagged along. It had infuriated her how her girlfriends would not stop glancing at him and giggling while browsing through the stores, all while making stupid comments; _He can guard my body anytime..._ \- _Wish my dad hired a cute bodyguard to look after me too_ \- _Does he really live with you? Rox, you're so lucky!_. Roxy would give them a forced smile and bite her tongue, trying to hold back any snarky remarks. Mr. Unwin followed them from a safe distance, pretending he wasn't with them. And any time he came too close, Roxy would shoot him a cold, warning look and he'd back off a step or too. It might have been cruel, but at that moment she hadn't cared one bit.

Roxy let her head lean against the marble bathtub behind her. Her eyes were glassy and she was starting to feel woozy. She had to admit the boy was handsome. Of course he was, she'd noticed that the first day she'd seen him standing in the living room behind her godfather. But right now any feelings of attraction were being overshadowed by those of anger, bitterness and resentment, and she doubted that would change any time soon.

\---------------------------------

After half an hour of polite chit-chat, Eggsy finally managed to excuse himself. He gave the women the most charming smile he could master, saying that he absolutely had to check on lady Roxanne. They eventually let him go, only after making him promise he'd come back immediately. They probably forgot about his promise as soon as he disappeared, as they were all very drunk at this point. Eggsy loved getting attention from women, he really did, and Mrs. Morton's friends were all very lovely. In any other situation he would have gladly stayed talking with them, but he hadn't been hired to entertain bored, middle-aged housewives. He was certain that Percival Morton would kill him if anything happened to his daughter while Eggsy was on duty. Speaking of the devil, as he was about to enter the house he noticed Mr. Morton talking to a group of friends next to one of the big white marble pillars. He saw Eggsy and motioned him to come closer.

''Mr. Unwin, where is Roxanne?'' 

''She just went inside, I was about to...'' 

''Tell her to come out as soon as possible, she is supposed to deliver a speech to all the guests and sing some Edith Piaf'' 

''Yes sir''


	4. La vie en rose

He found her sitting on the bathroom floor, leaning her back against the marble bathtub, drinking brandy straight from the bottle. Her face was blushed and her eyes looked glassy, but Eggsy suspected it wasn’t just because of the liquor.  


‘’Uh…Miss Morton, your father is looking for you.’’  


‘’I don’t give a fuck to be quite honest’’ Her thick slur could not mask the contempt in her voice.  


He kneeled in front of her, placing a hand on her forehead.  


‘’You’re burning up. How long did you stand in the sun?’’ It had been a hot day, and Eggsy had noticed the guests had barely let Miss Morton catch a break. Had she even had a chance to eat or drink anything?  


'‘Did you drink anything? Looks like you could have sun stroke'’  


‘’I have my drink right here, mister’’ Roxy shook the half-empty brandy bottle in his face before taking another gulp.  


‘’Yeah, I meant water. Gimme that’’  


Roxy tried to protest but quickly found out she didn’t really have the strength. Her migraine was gone though, so that was good.  


Eggsy was starting to get worried. If she really was suffering from heat stroke they might need to call a doctor. He was about to get up to hide the brandy bottle somewhere safe when she suddenly grabbed his arm.  


‘’I’m very sorry...’’ Her voice was barely a whisper.  


Eggsy blinked, confused.  


‘’Uh, excuse me?’’  


Her eyes were unfocused, staring somewhere into the distance ‘’It is not your fault, Mr. Unwin. You are just doing your job, I know that. And you’re quite good at it, too good I’d say…I hope you can forgive me for my terrible behaviour’’ He noticed the tears building up in her eyes as she lowered her gaze.  


They were both quiet for a moment. Eggsy watched as Miss Morton’s tears slowly rolled down her cheeks and fell into her lap, like tiny white pearls. He had never met a girl who didn’t make a sound when she cried. No sobbing, just tears streaming down and staining the yellow sundress. It was very sad to watch.  


''Oh, c'mon Miss Morton don't cry, s'all right...I...uh...'' 

Eggsy stopped mid sentence, not really knowing what else to say. He never thought his duties would include comforting a crying client. He stared at the dark dots staining the sundress, lost in thought. After a moment of hesitation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crinkled envelope. He tried to straighten it out the best he could before handing it to her, slightly embarrassed.  


Roxy lifted her head and stared curiously at the envelope before taking it into her hands.  


‘’What is this?’’ She looked surprised, like she’d never seen a white envelope in her life.  


Eggsy turned his head to look out the bathroom window. He felt stupid.  


‘’It’s just, nothing really. Since it’s your birthday, I thought I’d get you something’’ He still didn't look at her, instead turning his eyes to scrutinize the white tile floor.  


Roxy stared at him for a moment, wide-eyed and confused.  


‘’Oh…oh, Mr. Unwin you didn’t have to...’’  


‘’You can call me Eggsy’’ He grinned, amusement in his voice. He hadn’t gotten used to being called ‘’Mr. Unwin’’. It sounded so formal.  


‘‘Eggy?’’ Roxy gave him a confused look.  


‘’No, Eggsy’’ His smile grew even wider.  


‘’Oh, well, thank you… _Eggsy_ . This is very nice of you’’ She said, twisting and turning the envelope around in her hands.  


‘’I mean, it’s really nothing, like, nothing compared to that other stuff you got…’’ He had planned to give it to her earlier, but after seeing all the luxurious presents the guests had brought for her, he’d been too embarrassed. How stupid of him, girls like that were supposed to get diamonds and gold, none of which he could offer.  


Roxy started to open the envelope, as quickly as her drunk, clumsy hands would let her. She pulled out two pieces of paper with some text written on them.  


‘’Umm..clu…club party…dj Cop...’’ She barely managed to make sense of the writing, drunk as she was.  


‘’Dj Coop’’ Eggsy corrected her.  


‘’Dj Coop…who is he?’’  


‘’It’s..he’s this really good Australian dj…’’ He felt embarrassed. What a stupid idea, to buy a posh girl tickets to a rave.  


‘’Oh…oh! But that’s great! I’ve never been to a club...I mean, I just turned eighteen so…This is so cool, Eggy, thank you so much’’  


He felt like she was giving her that standard ‘thank you’-speech she’d given every other guest earlier today after receiving a present. But it sounded genuine and she really did seem delighted about the gift. It made Eggsy feel a bit better about himself. Truth was, he’d gone through quite a lot of trouble to get those tickets.  


‘’Yeah, you’re gonna love it. The other ticket is so you can invite a friend, you know, I’ll be with my friends so you won’t even notice I’m there…’’  


‘‘Oh..’’ Her smile suddenly dropped and there was a bit of sadness in her voice.  


‘’Is...something wrong?’’ Oh god what did he do now.  


‘’I just, I though these tickets were for you and I...’’  


It was Eggsy’s turn to be confused.  


‘’Wha…would you like to go with me?’’ He frowned, a smile tugging at his lips. He’d thought he would be the last person she’d like to take anywhere.  


‘’Why not? You know this place. Also we can get to know each other better...’’ She stared at him with her deep green eyes, giving Eggsy a look he could not decipher.

He eyed her suspiciously as she stared at him with glassy eyes and flushed cheeks. Yeah, okay, she was definitely getting delirious from heatstroke…or she was drunker than he’d thought.

‘’Miss Morton, I’m going to tell someone to call a doctor, I really think you have heat stroke and…'’

‘’No! No don’t tell anyone, you can’t!’’ Panic took over her expression.

‘’Miss Morton this is serious. Don’t worry, they won’t care that you’re drunk, you are 18 and…’’

She gave out an exasperated sigh ‘’It doesn’t matter how old I am, do you know what a disgrace it is for the hostess to get drunk like this in the middle of her party? I was supposed to deliver some speech and sing _La vie en rose_...No, no way, Egg, you can’t tell them.’’

‘’Miss Morton…’’

‘’You work for me and you have to do as I say!’’ Roxy pursed her lips like a petulant child. Had she been sober she would have been thoroughly embarrassed about her behavior.

He grinned in amusement ‘’I work for your _father_ …’’ It was good that Eggsy had experience babysitting his little sister, otherwise he wouldn’t have had the patience to deal with this nonsense.

He could see the desperation on her face, though. This was definitely one of the aspects about posh life that he didn’t understand. Things which would have made no one bat an eye-lid back at home were a huge deal in this world. Eggsy didn’t even remember his own eighteenth birthday party from three months ago, since he’d been so incredibly drunk.  


He pondered his options for a moment. He really didn’t want to stir any more shit between him and Miss Morton, but he didn’t want her to die either.

‘’Look, all right. I won’t say anything, but I want you to take a cold shower and then immediately get in bed okay? I’ll go tell your father some bullshit excuse about a head ache or whatever. I’ll check on you every now and then, and if I see you’re getting worse even just a little bit I’ll have someone call a doctor immediately, understood?’’

She nodded quietly, and before he could help her she had already risen to her feet. Apparently, sobering up quickly was something she had in common with her godfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (muffled screaming in the distance)


	5. Stay

When Eggsy came back to check on Miss Morton, she was lying on her bed in just teeny tiny black shorts and a white tank top. She was lying on her side facing the window, her back against him, showing him the beautiful curve of her hips. Her hair was still slightly damp from the shower, and there were little water droplets running down the back of her neck, which was now starting to turn red. Noticing himself staring, he quickly averted his eyes. Now was not the time to get distracted. 

Eggsy walked to her side of the bed and knelt in front of her. She was fast asleep, and her breathing seemed regular enough. After pressing the back of his hand against her forehead and checking her pulse on her wrist, he got up to leave the room. She didn't seem to be getting worse, but that sun burn she had would soon start to hurt. Eggsy had told Mr. Morton that his daughter had a headache caused by the heat, and that she could not deliver the speech. After reassuring him multiple times and insisting that the young lady was fine and only needed to rest, Mr. Morton finally believed that there was no need for him to check on his daughter.

He was about to walk out the door when he heard her turn around in the bed.

''Where are you going..?'' Her voice sounded sleepy, but more sober than earlier.

Eggsy paused at the door ''I just came to check on you. I'll let you rest now''

''Don't go'' She sounded groggy, staring at him with hooded eyes.

He hesitated for a moment before walking back and sitting on the edge of the bed ''How are you feeling?'' 

''Come lie here with me''

Eggsy frowned ''Miss Morton I don't think...''

''Call me Roxy'' 

They stared at each other for a moment, not saying anything. 

Her fevered gaze was bright ''Stay...please. Just for a little bit''

Eggsy looked at her reddening cheeks, thinking. He _did_ want to stay and keep a closer eye on her, in case she got worse, plus he wasn't too keen on going back outside and having to chat up George or Mrs. Morton... But it _was_ definitely inappropriate for him to lie in bed with the young lady of the house, and if someone walked in on them it could potentially cost Eggsy his job...but then again, everyone was busy partying outside so.... 

After thinking about it for a moment, Eggsy shrugged and got up to close the door.

\-----------------

Roxy shamelessly stared at him as he took off his shoes and his suit jacket. The dizziness caused by the heat and the alcohol had made her forget all sense of etiquette, as well as the resentment she felt for the young man. She couldn't help gazing at the buttons of his white shirt, slightly straining. It was probably a size too small, making his defined abs and biceps visible from underneath it. It surprised Roxy, and made her eyes widen a little. Since her father hadn't imposed a dress code for the body guards, she'd gotten used to seeing Eggsy in baggy clothes, which had concealed most of his buff-ness.

''It's rude to stare ya know'' He said, grinning as he lay his coat on a chair by the bed.

''I'm not staring'' She replied, as she continued to stare.

He lied down next to her on the bed, keeping a safe distance, but she immediately scooted closer to him. As soon as she did that though, she winced and a very ugly word escaped her lips (Eggsy didn't know ladies like Miss Morton knew such words).

''My back...oh god it's on fire'' She got up on the bed but immediately let herself fall back (on her stomach this time). She still felt lightheaded. 

''Yeah you burned your back standing in the sun for three hours'' 

She groaned into her pillow. 

''Please get me that lotion from my nightstand'' she pointed at a small blue bottle that said 'coconut oil'.

Eggsy reached for it an passed it to her. She grabbed it with her right hand and stared at it for a moment.

''You're gonna have to help me with this'' 

Eggsy frowned but didn't say anything, just reached to take the little bottle off her hands. They were already behaving inappropriately, might as well do this too. 

Soon small yelps and groans were heard from Miss Morton's room. The sounds were not exactly caused by pleasure though, quite the opposite. Rubbing lotion on Roxy's back hadn't turned out to be as sexy a task as Eggsy had though. She winced every time his fingers grazed her burnt shoulders, even though he tried to be as gentle as possible. His touch felt like sandpaper against Roxy's skin. She buried her head in the pillow trying to stifle her groans. 

''I'm almost done here'' 

'' _Mmmphh!_ '' 

\---------------------------------------------------------

They'd been lying on the bed for about an hour now, drifting in and out of sleep. Eggsy had stayed mostly awake, lying on his back and letting his eyes lazily wander around the room. It wasn't much bigger than the one given to him. It had similar large windows showcasing the beautiful garden with its apple and cherry trees. There were tall shelves filled with books, as well as beautiful paintings of landscapes on the walls. Roxy's wooden desk was buried in notebooks and papers, probably from her university courses. She hadn't told him what she was studying, but from what he'd inferred from some of Mrs. Morton comments, it had something to do with IT. 

Roxy was awake again, still lying on her stomach. The sunburn was still there, but as long as she lay still the pain was manageable. 

''You know...we have a bit of a problem with the rave'' she mumbled, half asleep.

''And what's that?'' He asked, yawning. 

''My father has set a curfew...everyone has to be home by 10 pm, staff included''

He turned in the bed to face her ''What? Seriously?'' Mr. Morton hadn't told him anything about a curfew.

''Yeah, sorry you wasted your money, Eggsy.'' She gave him a sad smile. ''But I guess you can give the tickets to your friends, or maybe sell them or something'' She was starting to feel drowsy again, barely able to keep her eyes open.

Eggsy was quiet for a moment.

''We are gonna go to that rave'' he declared, in a determined voice.

''Mmm how..?'' She cracked one eye open to look at him curiously.

''Trust me, we'll figure it out'', and with a confident grin on his face he watched her fall back to sleep.


	6. Don't stop the music

It was a Saturday night and the Mortons were entertaining guests downstairs. Roxy and Eggsy were both in their respective rooms, having excused themselves early. Eggsy was currently putting on his best gear; white kicks, black polo shirt, adidas hoodie and snap back. When he was done, he closed his bedroom door behind him and walked as silently as he could through the corridor towards Roxy's room. He knocked faintly on the door and waited, looking left and right to make sure no one was around. He was about to knock again when Roxy opened the door, making Eggsy's jaw drop slightly at the sight. She was wearing a very elegant, knee-length pencil dress in a light blue shade. It was lovely but... clearly more suited for a gala or some posh party (like the one her parents were having downstairs). Not exactly something to wear for a rave. Eggsy frowned a bit.

''What?'' Roxy looked down at her dress.

''That's a lovely dress, Rox, but not really one you wear to a club'' He grinned ''It's gonna be difficult to dance in that''

It was Roxy's turn to frown ''Well what do girls wear to those clubs?''

Eggsy scratched the back of his neck, looking pensive ''I dunno, a mini dress with heels, tight jeans with a top...? You know, all that stuff'' He made a vague gesture with his hand.

''Well, apparently I _don't_ know'' Roxy turned around and walked to her closet. She had frilly dresses and khaki pants and blouses in every shade and colour, but none of that stuff seemed appropriate for a club. She didn't even own any jeans. She let out a frustrated sigh, looking through her drawers. After a moment of thinking, a light bulb seemed to go off in her head.

''Turn around, Eggsy''

Eggsy raised his head from a book he'd been inspecting. He put it back on her nightstand and turned around to face the wall.

''I can wait outside if you want, ya know'' He grinned to himself ''I know how much a lady needs her privacy''

''It's all right. Plus I don't want any drunk guests to see you loitering in the corridor and freak out. They might think you're some thug who's come to rob the house'' She joked as she slipped out of her pencil dress.

Eggsy snorted ''Very funny, Miss M''

''You can look now''

When Eggsy turned back to look at her, he found himself out of words. Roxy was wearing a short, extremely tight black dress, so tight that it pushed her breasts up and together, creating a generous cleavage.

He could feel his pulse accelerate ''That's...wow Rox that's more like it''

She gave him a wide smile, clearly pleased with herself. The black 'dress' was actually a body shaper made of spandex, the kind you wear under a dress (so she was technically wearing underwear). She'd gotten the shaper as a gift from a middle-aged aunt, who thought every woman should own one. Roxy obviously didn't need one, she was already slim, but her aunt always insisted that dresses looked better if one wore a shaper underneath them, even to just smooth out the skin and hide the creases made by underwear.

''Let's go then'' Roxy quipped, as she grabbed her tiny black purse and slipped on her black ballerina shoes (no way she was gonna dance in kitten heels).

\-------------------------------------

They avoided the big marble stairs leading to the front door and instead used another set of stairs that led to the back of the house. Roxy felt butterflies stir in her gut as they walked down to the ground floor. She'd never done anything like this in her life; never sneaked out, never broken the rules. She felt a bit of guilt, but it was overshadowed by excitement and the adrenaline coursing through her veins. This was definitely the most thrilling thing she'd done in her life.

Eggsy was more than used to sneaking out. Although he'd never really had to do that when living at home; he'd always been allowed to come and go as he pleased, just like most kids in his neighborhood. Their hard-working parents were often too busy to keep too close an eye on their kids.

Eggsy and Roxy had planned to temporarily disable the alarm system and sneak out through the back door. Roxy knew the code, her parents had told her what it was, obviously. They trusted her. Using the bypass feature of the alarm, she could temporarily disable the security system of the back door. She pressed the code and the red light on the keypad was turned off. Once they'd left and closed the door behind them, the system would be re-activated. Eggsy had taken one of the wireless remotes from the desk in Mr. Morton's home office. Once they came back from the rave, they would simply disable the alarm from the outside using the remote and sneak back in.

Once out, they waited for a moment, inspecting the yard. Eggsy knew some of the body guards did rounds outside, but luckily he was familiar with their schedule. They had about 10 minutes until the start of the next round. Having made sure the coast was clear, they hurried towards the tall metal gates at the end of the driveway. As they walked through the dark yard, Roxy turned to look back at the house. All the lights were turned on downstairs and dozens of people were dancing and having fun. Why would her father try to deny her that? She had just as much right to have fun and live a little, surrounded by young people like her and not some old geezers in suits.

\--------------------------------------------- 

They drove there in Roxy's brand new dark blue Audi, a gift from her dear godfather Lancelot. The club, which was practically on the other side of town, was quite close to Eggsy's old neighborhood. Roxy parked near the door and they jumped out. 

''Rox, you gotta let me drive this sometime'' He dumped his hoodie on the front seat before closing the car door. 

Roxy locked the car with her key ''If you're nice to me...I might think about it'' she grinned, subtly eyeing him up and down. The black polo shirt he'd been wearing under his hoodie showcased nicely his toned arms. 

''Then I have nothing to worry 'bout Rox, I'm always nice'' He gave her a playful wink, making her scoff. 

''All right Mr. Nice Guy, show me what this place is all about'' 

\------------------------------------------------- 

They walked to the dance floor, where a big crowd of young people was already gathering in front of the stage. The hall was filled with white and blue light coming from the laser beams set on every corner of the roof. Suddenly a tall man in his mid-twenties with sun glasses and a blue jacket appeared on the stage and situated himself over the mix table. Dj Coop looked down at the clubbers gathered around him, like a shepherd looking at his herd, and slowly, one by one, the voices started to die down. A very low bass noise began to crawl out of the massive speakers located on each side of the stage, infecting everyone present. Roxy felt as if someone had released a swarm of bees inside her, making her guts vibrate. She could literally feel the music inside her, and she wondered if everyone else could too. She turned her head to look at Eggsy standing on her right, looking just as captivated as everyone else, his eyes glued to the stage. Once the beat dropped the whole club exploded with the sounds of a sea of people dancing and cheering. 

\------------------------------------------------- 

They danced for what felt like hours. Roxy was sweating like crazy, but she didn't notice. It didn't matter, everyone else was too. The only thing that mattered was the beat. She was dancing away with her eyes half-closed when she suddenly felt a hand on her arm. She turned her head to look at Eggsy moving his mouth, but the music was too loud for her to make out the words.

''What?'' Roxy shouted, but her voice drowned in the music.

Eggsy leaned in closer. His hot breath against her ear made shivers run down her spine.

''I'm gonna buy you your first legal drink''

''What? Oh, no Eggsy, I can pay for my own drinks''

''No way, tonight's on me, c'mon'' He winked at her and grabbed her hand to guide her through the sea of bodies towards the bar section.

Standing by the counter, Roxy looked at the long line of colourful bottles. She didn't know much about cocktails. Her mother was quite fond of margaritas, so she settled for that one. Eggsy got himself a beer, and once they had their drinks they turned their heads to look at Dj Coop on the stage, mixing away.

''That guy is really good, Eggsy, like, really really good'' She felt drunk already, even though she hadn't yet taken one sip from her cocktail.

Eggsy grinned at her, pleased ''Yeah, I know. This is the first time I get to see him live. I'm so glad I could get the tickets at the last minute'' He took a long gulp from his beer. He hadn't noticed how thirsty he was while dancing.

''He seems really popular, how did you get the tickets anyway? Aren't these things usually sold out months in advance?'' Roxy took a sip from her margarita. It was sweet, not as sweet as the brandy though. She liked it, but she planned to go slow this time.

Eggsy avoided her eyes, smiling a bit ''It doesn't really matter, Rox. It's a long story''

''Aww c'mon, I want to knooow...'' She placed a hand on his arm and leaned in closer. She was feeling friendlier than usual that night ''You can tell me'' Rubbing his bicep she fluttered her lashes and stared at him with her beautiful green eyes.

Eggsy was feeling woozy too, although it had more to do with the way Roxy was looking at him than the alcohol or the music. He'd watched her dance near the stage with such abandon he'd found it intoxicating. It was probably the most beautiful thing he'd seen in his life, the closest thing to a religious experience...and Eggsy was definitely not a religious man. As her face was now inches from his, his eyes wandered from her eyes to her slightly parted rose lips to her generous cleavage, so close to his face that he could see one tiny bead of sweat traveling down from her neck and disappearing right between her...

''Eyes up here, soldier''

Eggsy snapped his eyes back to meet hers. She didn't look mad though, just amused, a cheeky smile on her lips.

With half a grin on his face Eggsy put down his beer on the counter ''I had to help out a mate, well, technically a mate's mate. I did him this favour and he got me the tickets''

''What kind of favour?'' Roxy wasn't planning to drop the subject.

Eggsy sighed and turned to look at her ''He sells stuff, ya know. Clothes, electronics, bikes, anything really. I helped him get some stuff to sell''

Roxy tilted her head and eyed him curiously ''Really..? That's the whole story?''

''We stole a car''

''Are you joking''

''It was just some shitty Fiat Punto''

She laughed and shook her head ''Oh, well if it was just some shitty punto then I guess it's all right''

He stared at her for a second as she took another sip from her margarita ''You're not mad or anything?''

''Well, no one has ever stolen a car so they could take me to a wicked rave. It's actually very romantic''

''Ooh, are you really using the r-word now? Didn't know this was a date'' He laughed.

Roxy playfully shoved him on the shoulder ''Don't be a doof''

Maybe Roxy would have reacted differently to the revelation, in another place, at another time. But tonight none of that stuff seemed to hold any importance. She felt like she had stepped into a completely different world with different rules; Eggsy's world. Although...if she really thought about it, this world wasn't so starkly different from her own. Her own father was an actual criminal, involved in financial corruption, working alongside mafias. Wasn't that a million times worse than stealing a car? Roxy felt a wave of disgust wash over her. Everyone in her circle was full of shit, herself included. They were all about appearances, but they partied just like everyone else, and committed crimes like everyone else, and fucked up and screwed people over, but their money and power insured that they could get away with it.

Eggsy was noticing the sudden change of mood on her face. He worried it might have to do with what he'd just told her.

''You all right, Rox?'' He asked, tentatively.

She snapped out of her thoughts and turned to look at him ''Uh, yeah I'm fine, Eggsy'' She forced on a smile ''I just need to go to the ladies for a sec and splash some water on my face, it's so hot in here'' She put down her margarita on the counter ''I'll be right back''

\---------------------------------------- 

What happened next was something that would make them both remember that night forever, but not in a good way. Roxy was pushing her way through the crowd to get to the other side of the venue, while Eggsy stared musingly at his beer, lost in thought. Neither noticed the tall man dressed in dark clothes following Roxy through the dance floor. Before she could reach the bathrooms, she suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. Surprised, Roxy turned around to look at the stranger, but the only thing she could see in the dim light provided by the laser beams was a wide grin of white teeth. 

The man leaned down closer to her face so she could hear his words ''How does you dad let out such a pretty little thing like you, all by herself?'' he uttered in an American accent. 

Roxy was uncomfortable by the sudden invasion of her personal space, thinking the man was trying to flirt with her. She gave him a defiant look ''I'm not alone, my friend is over there at the bar'' She pointed to her left, but the man didn't turn his head one inch, instead just letting out a chuckle. 

''Yeah, we know about your friend. Does Percival really think hiring some teenage punk will keep his precious Roxanne safe?'' 

Roxy froze at the words. 

''Why don't we leave your boy here to finish his drink and you and I go out to have a little chat with some of my friends?'' He grabbed her wrist, tight, and started pulling her towards the nearest exit. 

Roxy panicked, not knowing what was happening. She tried to pull away but the man was too strong. She looked back at where Eggsy was, screaming and trying to grab his attention, anyone's attention, but everyone was minding their own business, dancing and drinking. Her voice was drowned in the music. 

\-------------------------------------------- 

Eggsy took one last gulp from his beer, and after putting it down on the counter he turned around to scout the dance floor. He was feeling stupid, god knows what Roxy thought of him now. Why did he tell her that he'd nicked a car to get the tickets? Why couldn't he just come up with a lie like he always did? Eggsy was great at lying, he'd done it his whole life to avoid trouble, but he'd found out he couldn't lie to Roxy. Or rather, he felt he didn't _need_ to lie to her. For some reason he trusted her. 

Eggsy was looking at the crowd dancing near the stage when his eyes suddenly fell on two people who were not dancing, but instead seemed to be having a scuffle. In the dim light of the laser beams he could see for a second that one of the people was, in fact, Roxy. Eggsy immediately entered his bodyguard mode and started to quickly make his way towards her, elbowing his way through the crowd. 

When he finally arrived to her side, Roxy had managed to break away from the man by hitting him as hard as she could with her little purse (it was made of metal). Eggsy pushed her behind him to protect her, and proceeded to punch the American man square in the face before he could recover from the blow Roxy's purse had delivered to his head. 

\-------------------------------------------- 

They hurriedly walked through a maze of dark alleys, having left the club behind them a few blocks away. No one seemed to be following them, but they kept their eyes and ears open nonetheless. Eggsy was muttering under his breath, angry and upset. They had left the man unconscious on the floor, and had quickly exited the club through one of the back doors before making too much of a scene. They could not go back to their car, as it was probably being watched by whomever was accompanying the man they'd just knocked out. 

Roxy was too shaken herself to notice her companion's mood ''Should we take a cab back home?'' She started to search for her phone in her purse. 

Eggsy gritted his teeth ''No, we can't go back to your house, they know that's where we'll be going. They'll get us before we even reach the gates'' Eggsy stopped walking abruptly and turned to look at her ''We are gonna have to call your father and tell him what 'appened, he can send some back up to pick us up'' 

Roxy looked at him, shocked ''Are you serious? NO! No way, Eggsy, he can't know, he'll kill me _and_ you if he finds out we sneaked out like this'' 

Eggsy frowned. He didn't doubt Percival Morton was capable of killing him for putting his daughter in danger like that. But he didn't mind taking the risk if needed. 

Roxy stared at him, pleadingly ''I'm serious, Eggsy, he'll kill you and if he doesn't kill me he'll lock me away forever'' 

Eggsy didn't say anything. They resumed their walking, with no direction in particular, just trying to get as far as possible from the club. 

He spoke after a while ''I know where we can go''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -From an American perspective it might feel weird to have the bad guys be...American lmao. But c'mon guys we can't always resort to eastern Europeans :D


	7. Home

It was almost 2 am when they finally arrived at the Unwin residence. Eggsy turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. He was immediately greeted by the familiar smell of his own home. Everything was quiet; his mum and little sister asleep in their bedroom. He hadn't visited in a while; he'd told his mum he had rented a small flat on the other side of town, near the 'club' he supposedly worked at. He hadn't wanted to worry her with the details of his actual job.

Eggsy stepped into the flat, Roxy right behind him. After closing the door they both stood in the dark for a moment before Eggsy reacted and turned on the lights. He had hesitated for a bit, not sure if he wanted Roxy to see his house in all its 'splendor'. Once the lights were on, Roxy discreetly looked around for a bit, but didn't say anything, her expression neutral.

''My room's this way'' He muttered as he swiftly walked past the piles of old plastic bags, magazines, and take away boxes lying on the floor (poor people are sometimes too busy or exhausted to fuss about tidying up, that's just how it is). While living there himself, Eggsy hadn't ever paid much attention to the squalor around him, he'd gotten used to it from an early age. That's what everyone's flat in that neighborhood looked like. But after having spent over a month with the Mortons, he was now acutely aware of the mess around him. For the first time in his life he actually felt ashamed of his house, his family, himself.

They stepped into his room and Roxy closed the door behind them. She'd never been to a home like this. It was full of signs that people lived there; toys and newspapers scattered around, a pile of folded laundry waiting on the couch. Her own house seemed...clinical and cold in comparison, everything so neat that no one could really have guessed anyone lived there. Roxy let her eyes wander around Eggsy's room. There were posters on the walls of bands she'd never heard of, books and video games on the shelves by the window, as well as some strange flower vases here and there (they were actually bongs, but Roxy had never seen one before). She wanted to ask questions about some of the stuff (like the picture of a man in military uniform on the shelf) but Eggsy seemed to be so on edge that she didn't dare.

''I'll find you some shorts and a tee'' He kicked off his shoes before starting to search through his closet. His cap and his hoodie had been left behind in the car, not that it really mattered. He was too upset to even remember that.

Meanwhile Roxy awkwardly sat on the corner of Eggsy's bed, holding her tiny purse in her lap like a puppy.

''You have a nice house'' she commented, after a moment of hesitation.

Eggsy sneered and continued looking through his drawer.

''I mean it. It smells like a home''

''Stale beer and cigarettes?''

''I'm serious, Eggsy''

''Yeah, whatever'' He was still upset about what had happened, adrenaline coursing through his veins and making him snappy. He felt like such and idiot, how could he'd been so incredibly irresponsible? He put his client's life at risk, she could have been kidnapped or killed for godssake.

Roxy could see he was upset, and she was determined to remain calm, since Eggsy obviously couldn't. He looked like he was about to have a heart attack, frantically searching through his drawers. Roxy was trying to be nice and make him calm down. She really didn't intend to sound patronizing, she did mean what she said about the house.

Eggsy finally found an old ninja turtles t-shirt that was too small for him and a pair of black boxers. He thrust them into Roxy's hands and proceeded to take off his own shirt and throw it on the floor while searching for a pair of pajama pants for himself.

Roxy looked at him as he searched through his drawers, a worried expression on her face.

''It wasn't your fault Eg..''

''YES IT FUCKING WAS'' He turned around to look at her straight in the eye. He hadn't planned to raise his voice like that, but couldn't help himself.

They both stared silently at each other for a moment, Roxy still wearing her worried expression, while Eggsy's face was a mixture of anger, sadness, and desperation.

The silence didn't last long, as it was soon interrupted by the cries of a baby in the other bedroom.

Eggsy's expression softened, giving her an apologetic look ''I'm so, so sorry Rox, I didn't mean to yell at you, I just...''

Before he could finish apologizing, a sleepy Michelle Unwin opened the bedroom door, carrying little Daisy in her arms.

''What on earth is going on?!''

''I'm sorry mum, I didn't mean to wake you two up''

Michelle wasn't mad, quite the opposite. She was glad (and relieved) to see her son ''Oh, Eggsy, where have you been? We haven't heard from you in almost two weeks'' She walked to him and kissed his cheek, running a hand through his hair.

''I know, I'm sorry. We've had tons of work at the club and I've been really busy'' He wiped away a tear from Daisy's cheek.

''Really? So busy you could not spare even a little bit of time to visit your own mother and little sister..?'' Even though she was scolding him, her tone was playful. Michelle knew her son was working hard to help the family. She really wished he didn't need to do that though.

Michelle suddenly turned her eyes towards the stranger sitting on his (currently shirtless) son's bed and raised a curious eyebrow ''And who is this young lady?''

''Uh, hello ma'am I'm..''

''A _friend_ , mum, she's a friend. From work. She...just broke up with her boyfriend and has nowhere to go so she's staying here for the night''

Michelle grinned at her son's explanation ''A friend, huh...? And she's staying here in your bedroom? Well don't keep your friend up too late, the baby needs to sleep''

''Mum...''

''We'll talk in the morning, now it's time for your little sister to go to sleep. G'night to you both'' Michelle winked at him, and with Daisy already asleep in her arms, she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Eggsy let out a deep sigh as he sat on the bed next to Roxy. Roxy kept her eyes glued to the ninja turtles-shirt and the pair of boxers folded on her lap, trying to hide her blushing cheeks.

''Sorry 'bout my mum she...''

''I think you've done enough apologizing for the night, Eggsy. It's fine, really. She seems like a sweet lady''

''Yeah, she is'' Eggsy smiled at that.

They sat quietly for a moment.

She turned to face him ''Listen, Eggsy, and I really mean it, listen. What happened at the club tonight wasn't your fault, okay? You didn't force me to go there, it was my choice, I wanted to go. All right? And minus the whole crazy mobster coming after us, I really enjoyed myself, seriously, it was the best night of my life. So please stop blaming yourself''

Eggsy kept his eyes glued to the green carpet in front of him ''Yeah, I know I didn't force you, Rox, but you're my responsibility, okay? My job is to make sure nothing bad happens to you, and tonight I wasn't doing my job, I was just taking a pretty bird to a rave hosted by my favourite dj. I forgot that you're my client, but it won't happen again''

''Oh, no, fuck no Eggsy, you don't get to do that to me!'' She'd raised her voice and gotten up to her feet to stare down at him.

''Shh, Roxy please! My mum and my sis...''

''Sorry, I know, I know'' She whispered in return ''But listen, you don't get to make a 180 degree turn on me like that, I already have two parents busting my ass, and I don't need a third one. You are supposed to be on my side, Eggsy. You're my friend, not my jailkeeper''

''I know Rox but...''

''No, look. I know that what we did tonight was irresponsible, that's on both of us. But neither of us knew the situation was this bad, because my dad doesn't tell us shit. But I'm not going to let you lock me up in some cage and put me in an ivory tower so nothing bad (or good) ever happens to me''

She got down in front of him and put one hand on his knee ''We'll be more careful from now on, all right? Doesn't mean we can't do anything remotely fun ever again'' She was looking him in the eyes, but she couldn't help gazing down at his bare chest for a split second.

Eggsy grinned and leaned closer to her ''Exactly what kind of 'fun' do you have in mind?''

She snorted and playfully pushed his head away ''Time to go to sleep''


	8. Walk of shame

Roxy was the first one to wake up that morning. Eggsy had insisted on doing the gentlemanly thing and letting her sleep in his bed, while he slept on a mattress on the floor. She let out a small yawn, slowly looking around the bed room. The house was completely quiet, with the first rays of the morning sun gently peeking through the window. She felt completely comfortable lying on that bed, almost as if she'd done it a hundred times before. After stretching and rubbing her eyes, she peeked from the edge of the bed down at where Eggsy was sleeping. He was snoring lightly, lying on his back. Roxy took a moment to inspect his face; his sharp jaw and straight nose, his perfectly arched eyebrows. She wondered if he plucked them. She was just starting to realize how handsome the boy was after she'd managed to push her bitterness aside. As Roxy now looked at him she could feel a pang of longing in her chest.

Roxy decided to stop her rude staring and instead she got up to go to the bathroom. She opened the door as quietly as possible and stepped into the living room. She almost stepped on a squeaky baby toy, but managed to dodge it. Once she finished in the bathroom, she tried to walk just as quietly back to Eggsy's room. However, the smell of fresh coffee made her wander towards the kitchen. Michelle had gotten up while Roxy was in the bathroom, and was now preparing breakfast. She turned around to smile at the younger woman.

''Want some coffee, love?''

''Um, yes, thank you'' She hesitated for a moment, looking around the kitchen awkwardly ''Is there anything I can do to help, Mrs. Unwin?''

''Well you're a polite one. It's all right, you can sit down, and please call me Michelle'' Michelle gestured towards one of the chairs by the kitchen table, and after a moment laid down fresh toast with strawberry jam. She paused for a moment to look around the flat.

''I'm so sorry about this mess we have here, I got home late from work yesterday and didn't have time to clean up'' Michelle gave Roxy an apologetic look and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

''Oh, no, it's all right. You have a lovely home'' Roxy tried to reassure her. She had noticed some of the take away boxes and magazines had disappeared from the living room. Eggsy's mum had probably tried to tidy up a bit while she was in the bathroom.

''My name is Roxy, by the way. I don't think Eggsy introduced us last night'', she said, as she sat down in one of the chairs.

''Ah, yes, my son doesn't seem to care much for social etiquette'' Michelle smiled at the younger woman as she finished pouring the coffee into the mugs on the counter ''It is very nice to meet you, Roxy''

Michelle sat down across Roxy and passed her one of the mugs. They smiled at each other awkwardly for a moment before Michelle broke the silence.

''I got Eggsy that t-shirt for his 12th birthday'' She pointed at the ninja turtles-shirt Roxy was wearing ''Looks really good on you'' She said, with a wink.

Roxy blushed a bit and gave out a little laugh ''Yeah, it's just about the right size'' She said, trying to strech the hem a little bit so it wouldn't look so tight on her chest.

Michelle smiled widely and took a sip from her mug. In the past, Eggsy had brought home many beautiful girls, but there was something different about this one. Not too many posh girls wandered into this neighborhood.

Before Roxy could take a sip of her coffee to drown her embarrassment, a sleepy, shirtless, bed-headed Eggsy wandered into the kitchen scratching his head.

''G'morning mum, Rox'' He mumbled as he walked to the counter to pour himself some coffee. He sat down on one of the chairs and grabbed a piece of toast, shoving it into his mouth and washing it down with a generous gulp from his mug. He was clearly still half-asleep.

''We were just talking about how great your old shirt looks on your 'friend''' Michelle commented, nodding in Roxy's direction.

''Hm?'' Eggsy stopped shoving toast into his mouth for a second and turned his head to look at Roxy. With her messy hair, his old t-shirt and his boxers she really was rocking the whole morning after/boyfriend-look.

Michelle noticed how her son eyed the girl and she couldn't help but grin at the sight ''You didn't even introduce us properly last nigh'' she said, teasingly.

''Uh, yeah, mum this is Miss Mor- I mean, Roxy. Roxy, this is-''

''Don't bother, Eggsy, we already introduced each other'' Michelle smiled widely and winked at Roxy. She got up to make some more coffee.

''So, you two know each other from work? You too work at the club, Roxy?'' Michelle asked as she looked through the cupboard.

''Um...'' Roxy didn't know exactly what Eggsy had told his mum, but she had no problem playing along ''Yes, I do. I'm his boss. He works for me''

Eggsy's jaw dropped and he looked at her incredulously. Roxy flashed him a hearty smile ''Yes, my dad owns the club and I manage it. Eggsy is one of our best employees, hard-working and dedicated. Close your mouth, Eggsy, I can see a whole piece of toast in there''

Eggsy closed his mouth and swallowed hard, annoyed but also slightly amused ''Yeah, she's the boss-lady...She's in charge''

''That's right'' Roxy smiled and took a sip from her mug.

Michelle had turned around to look at them, her eyes widening in surprise ''Eggsy! Next time you bring your boss over you have to let me know in advance. I could have time to clean up a bit and buy some proper food'' She sat back down and gave her son a sharp look. 

''Oh, no Mrs. Unwin, it's really fine. I'm sorry we didn't let you know I was coming, it was all really sudden''

Michelle's expression softened ''All right then, it's really nice to hear from you that my boy is doing so well''

Before anyone had time to say anything else, Daisy started crying in her mother's bedroom.

Michelle started to get up ''Looks like our little princess is awake. I'll go get her, you two finish your breakfast'' She smiled at them and left them alone in the kitchen.

Eggsy waited until his mum disappeared into her bedroom ''Really? The club-owner's daughter?'' he sneered.

''What exactly have you told your mum about your job?'' Roxy inquired, taking another sip from her mug.

Eggsy shrugged, idly turning a piece of toast in his hand ''She thinks I work at a club as security and that I live in a flat close to it''

She put down her mug and leaned closer ''Would she be upset if she knew you are working as a body guard?'' she asked, quietly.

Eggsy stared at his coffee mug, thinking ''I dunno, not necessarily. Your dad's decent enough. But I came up with the story about the club when I was still working for Mr. Lancelot, and he had his own particular way of...dealing with his affairs. I didn't want to worry my mum''

''My godfather...?'' Roxy loved her godfather Lancelot, but she was aware that the way he handled his business was...questionable. James Lancelot was known to be a man who was not afraid to use any means necessary to get what he wanted. Roxy hoped he hadn't made Eggsy do anything too terrible.

Eggsy saw the look of worry on her face ''I didn't have to kill anyone, if that's what you're thinking, but I did have to give some people...a warning a couple of times''

Eggsy wasn't proud of that. At all. He'd always felt like shit afterwards. Even if the guys he'd had to beat up were all scumbags, very similar to his ex step-dad and his friends. But those people hadn't done anything to Eggsy or his family, they were mostly people who owed James Lancelot money, or people who had somehow 'disrespected' him or something. If Mr. Lancelot needed to have someone killed every now and then, Eggsy wasn't the one who handled it. That job was given to some of the more experienced men working for Mr. Lancelot. Eggsy knew that at some point he would probably have been asked to do something more than just throw a couple of warning punches, so he was glad that Mr. Morton had hired him before that could happen. However, he knew that his job as a bodyguard was supposed to be temporary, and once the danger was over for the Morton family, Eggsy was supposed to go back to working for Mr. Lancelot. Eggsy felt shivers run down his spine just thinking about it.

''I'm so sorry my godfather made you do that, Eggsy'' Roxy reached to the other side of the table to squeeze his hand.

He grinned at her ''S'alright, it was my job''

''I know but...well, in any case you now work for us and...''

Before Roxy could finish the sentence, Michelle came back to the kitchen, little Daisy in her arms ''Say good morning to our guest!''

\----------------------------------------------

The two women sat in the kitchen finishing their coffee while Eggsy played with Daisy on the living-room couch. Michelle leaned closer to Roxy so she could whisper to her ''He didn't have anything to do with you and your boyfriend's break up, did he?'' She nodded her head in her son's direction.

''Uh, what? Oh, no, no Michelle, it was nothing like that''

''Well good, 'cause it wouldn't be the first time. Many girls out there are more than eager to leave their boyfriends for him''

'' _Really_ ?'' Roxy rolled her eyes a bit at the revelation, but couldn't help smirking.

Eggsy felt his ears burning and turned around to look at them from the couch ''Ya ain't talking bout me are ya?''

Both women grinned at him and took a sip from their mugs. Eggsy rolled his eyes and turned back towards Daisy.

After a moment, Eggsy kissed Daisy's forehead, got up and walked into the kitchen ''It's almost 9.30 am, we should probably head back'' After a night of heavy partying, the Mortons usually slept until late, so they weren't in too much of a hurry. Nonetheless, they still had to get back to the car.

\-------------------------------------------------

While Roxy was in Eggsy's room trading the ninja turtles-shirt for her black slip, Michelle approached her son in the kitchen, clearly worried.

''Is everything all right, Eggsy?''

He frowned ''Yeah, sure mum. Everything's fine'' He finished washing his and Roxy's coffee mugs and left them on the counter to dry.

Michelle stared at him for a moment before speaking again ''I'm sure there's a logical explanation for why you brought this girl here last night instead of going to your own flat...Is she in danger? Is the ex-boyfriend being creepy or something?'' Michelle recalled her own experiences with her ex-husband. Only after she got a restraining order in court did Dean finally leave her family alone.

''Um...'' Eggsy hesitated. His mum seemed to have assumed Roxy and him were together, and that Eggsy might have caused the break up between Roxy and her 'boyfriend' by pursuing her, and now the lad was mad at them. He felt bad about lying to his own mother, but the idea she'd formed in her head was actually a pretty cohesive narrative. He decided to go with it.

''Yeah, uh, the guy's a bit angry about the break-up and he's being a real wanker about it. Like, he's not violent or anything, but I thought I'd bring Roxy here for the night, in case he showed up at my flat looking for her or sumthing''

Michelle let out a long sigh ''I've told you to be careful with girls who are taken, Eggsy'' she scolded him.

Before Eggsy could come up with a reply, Roxy (luckily) emerged from his room. He couldn't help eyeing her up and down. He still hadn't gotten used to seeing her dressed like that.

Standing there in front of Eggsy's mum, Roxy felt practically naked. She'd tried to stretch the fabric to hide her cleavage a little bit, to no avail (spandex stretches right back, d'uh). She didn't feel as bold as she did barely 8 hours ago. Daylight had different rules, and could not hide things the same way nightlife could; the sweat, the grime, the doubt. Roxy hoped Michelle didn't notice she was wearing a body shaper as a dress. She'd tried to tame her wild locks with a small comb she'd found in Eggsy's room, but her hair still looked mussed.

Lucky for Roxy, Michelle made no comments on her dress or gave her any weird looks. She thought the plain black dress was actually quite tasteful compared to what some girls in the neighborhood wore to clubs. However, she couldn't help but wonder what a girl like Roxy saw in her son. Eggsy obviously had plenty of excellent qualities, but girls like that usually didn't entertain boys like her son for long. It was easy to tell that Roxy had had a very different upbringing from the one Michelle had been able to offer Eggsy. Michelle could perfectly understand the attraction a posh girl from a sheltered background could feel towards a handsome and charming rogue like her son. But she worried that that fancy would be just temporary, and after having her fun with him she'd leave him for someone closer to her own social standing. But only time would tell, and her son was old enough to make his own mistakes.

\----------------------------------------------------

After saying their goodbyes to Michelle, the two walked down to the bottom of the apartment blocks. Before they reached the driveway, they heard a whistle coming from above.

''Hot bird you got there, Eggs'' Some neighborhood boys were curiously looking down at them from one of the balconies.

''Go do your homework or something you punks'' He said, giving them the v sign.

The teen boys kept hollering as they walked away, and Eggsy took a moment to discreetly look at the beautiful girl walking next to him. Roxy really stood out in that neighborhood, and not just because of the tight dress she was wearing. There was something about how she walked, how she carried herself that was uncharacteristic of the neighborhood girls Eggsy knew. It was easy to tell she hadn't grown around there, there was too much softness left in her and a little bit of naivety. She didn't sneer at the boys hollering at her, but instead gave them a confused look and continued walking. Most girls from that neighborhood had been forced to harden themselves, because life was tough and men were cruel. He was happy his mom had kicked Dean to the curb before he had time to do more damage.

After a 15 minute walk they could see the club in the distance and the Audi still parked in front of it. The pair waited for a while on the corner of the street, observing the car and making sure no one was there waiting for them. Either way, it would have been dumb for them to make a move in broad daylight.

They quickly made their way towards the Audi and Roxy took out the keys from her purse to unlock it.

''Shit'' Roxy stopped in front of her car door.

''What is it?'' Eggsy asked worriedly and walked to her side.

''Look'' She pointed at the car door.

Eggsy looked and indeed, he saw three huge gray scratches that run across the car's dark-blue paint. Upon closer inspection, it was also revealed that both back tires had been slashed and a rear window smashed.

Eggsy let out a low whistle ''Wow, they really went for it...''

''What the hell? Did the assholes from last night do this?'' Roxy looked at her brand new car horrified, running her fingers through the scratches.

Eggsy scratched his neck ''Well, a car like this in a neighborhood like this usually gets stolen, not fucked up like this. So yeah, it was probably them''

She turned around to give him an exasperated look ''Seriously? You made me drive up here knowing my car might get stolen?''

Eggsy grinned ''C'mon, dj Coop is worth that''

She scoffed and started digging in her purse ''I'm calling us a cab''


	9. Scolded

It was 10 am when they finally arrived to the peaceful suburbs on the other side of town. It had been a silent car ride, with both Eggsy and Roxy looking out the cab windows, lost in thought. The cab driver had eyed them suspiciously, not sure what business a chav an a party girl in a skimpy black dress had in a posh neighbourhood. Eggsy insisted on paying the cab fare, even though Roxy tried to argue with him about it. She understood though that he was still feeling guilty about what had happened at the club, so eventually she gave in.

The cab left them at a safe distance from the mansion so they could discreetly walk to its tall, metal gates without being noticed. Once there, they peeked into the garden to make sure no bodyguards were around. Seeing no one, Eggsy reached into his pocket to take out the remote so they could open the gate.

''Oh shit'' 

''What is it?'' Roxy gave him a worried look.

Eggsy closed his eyes and let out a sigh ''I left the remote in the car''

''Oh my god'' she muttered under her breath.

''I'm so sorry Rox, shit, I left it in there last night before entering the club and forgot to take it when we were there just now...''

''I forgot about it too, Eggsy, it's on both of us'' It had been Roxy who had told him to leave the remote in the car before stepping into the club. She had feared it might get lost while dancing.

''Yeah, well, we're gonna have to figure out how to enter the garden and then the house without it'' Eggsy looked the gates up and down.

''Eggsy, we can't. The gates are made of steel-metal and they go all around the premises'' Roxy let out a sigh ''We are gonna have to press the bell and have them open the gates from the inside...'' Roxy gave him a defeated look. 

The way Roxy looked at him only made Eggsy more determined to come up with an alternative ''Hold on, what if we call one of the other body gu-''

''Hey kids, what are you up to?'' A cheery voice coming from behind made them both flinch. They turned around to see a man with sun glasses eyeing them from his car window, a wide smile plastered across his face.

''Uncle Lance!'' Roxy's voice was a mixture of relief and apprehension.

Lancelot lifted his sun glasses to take a better look at the two teenagers standing in front of the mansion's gates ''I see someone's been having fun, didn't know you sneaked around your dad like this, Roxanne'' He raised a curious eyebrow.

Roxy was not used to lying, much less to her own godfather. It didn't help that she'd been caught off guard ''Uh, no, I mean, we were actually...''

Lancelot let out a laugh and lightly waived his hand ''Hey, whoa, no need to explain yourself to me, kid. I'm actually proud, was about time you lived a little. Your dad can be a real pain in the ass, I mean, c'mon, a curfew?''

His reaction made Eggsy and Roxy sigh in relief. Lancelot's characteristic carefree attitude towards life wasn't easily challenged.

''C'mon, don't just stand there, jump in. I'll drive into the patio and once I get inside I'll leave the front door slightly ajar so you two can sneak in'' 

The two nodded and jumped into the backseat. Lancelot drove a hybrid these days. It barely made a sound, which was why they hadn't heard him approach the gates.

Eggsy felt stupid sitting in the back of the car of his former employer. A chill had run down his spine when he'd seen Mr. Lancelot smiling at them from his car. Eggsy had always had conflicted feelings about that man. 

James Lancelot had offered him a job that paid generously, and he'd treated Eggsy with the same respect he treated all of his other employees. Every now and then (to Eggsy's surprise) Lancelot had even asked his opinion on various matters. They had discussed Eggsy's marine training and Lancelot's own time in the army as a sniper. Generally speaking, he was a very pleasant man. His sense of humour and light charm made people seek his company, hell, he could even make the ever serious Mr. Morton laugh with his witty banter. But there was a much darker side to Mr. Lancelot, which he didn't exactly keep hidden. Everything merged in James Lancelot, the good and the bad, and everyone who got to know him even just a little bit would get to witness both. As soon as they reached the patio Eggsy pushed his mixed feelings aside.

''Here we are, kids. I'm gonna ring the bell. You two wait in the car until I get in. I'll keep your father entertained'' Lancelot parked his hybrid as close to the door as possible. When getting out, the couple could hide behind some of the tall white pillars if needed.

Roxy and Eggsy nodded quietly. They waited until they saw Lancelot disappear inside, and after waiting for a couple of minutes they both got out and sneaked to the door as fast as they could. Roxy lightly pushed the door and peeked in. The wide marble stairs in front of her were empty, but she could hear voices coming from the left.

''He's with my father in the living room'' She whispered.

Eggsy was standing right behind her ''Let me go in first, if they see me I'll just say I was out on a round''

Roxy hesitated. In case of getting caught, it would indeed be less suspicious if they weren't seen together.

''All right, I'll wait'' She opened the door and Eggsy quickly walked in.

No one was a around. The living room door had been closed, and Eggsy could only hear faint voices. He looked over his shoulder to signal that the coast was clear. Roxy nodded and waited until Eggsy disappeared into one of the corridors located on the right side of the marble stairs. She then got inside, and after gently closing the door she took off her ballerina shoes. Carrying them in one hand and her little black purse in the other, she began to run upstairs as quickly and silently as possible.

When Roxy was about to reach the top of the marble stairs, Angela Morton suddenly appeared in front of her, still dressed in her long, light-blue nightgown.

Roxy completely froze in her tracks, a look of utter horror and panic on her face. Her lips were slightly parted, as if she'd wanted to let out a scream but it had died somewhere in her throat. She just stood there paralyzed in her skimpy black dress that was actually underwear, her messy brown locks pointing in every direction.

Her mother stared down at her with narrowed eyes that had dark circles under them. The excesses of last night's party were still evident on her face, but the hungover didn't stop Angela Morton from giving her daughter the coldest look she could muster. Roxy recognized it as the exact same look she herself had given Eggsy when she'd been mad at him. Roxy had learned from a pro. She wasn't exactly proud of that.

To Roxy's surprise, her mother didn't say a word. She simply stepped aside to let her daughter walk past her. Roxy quickly walked up the rest of the stairs, keeping her eyes firmly on the carpet. She could feel her mother's eyes burning holes into her back as she disappeared into the corridor. She had been able to scold her without saying one word.

\--------------------- 

Meanwhile Eggsy had made his way to the staircase located in the back of the house. He ran into George in one of the hallways, who completely ignored him. The older bodyguard had made it quite clear in the past two weeks after Miss Morton's birthday that he didn't like the boy. Eggsy couldn't have cared less, and he walked hastily past him towards his room.

After taking a quick shower and changing into some fresh gear (hoodie, snapback etc.), Eggsy was ready to make his way downstairs. Every morning he was supposed to report to the head bodyguard, who would fill him in about possible threats or changes in security. As he reached the marble stairs, he saw that Mr. Morton and Mr. Lancelot had already come out of the living room, and were now chatting at the bottom of the stairs. He walked down as swiftly as he could, and was about to disappeared into one of the corridors when Mr. Morton's grave voice made him stop in his tracks. 

''Mr. Unwin, I must speak to you about a certain matter'' He had a serious look on his face, the same one he always had when speaking to Eggsy. The boy found it impossible to decipher; it could very well mean that he was getting sacked or that he was getting promoted to head bodyguard.

Before Eggsy could say a word, he noticed Roxy descending the stairs. His eyes lingered on her for longer than it was appropriate, but he couldn't help himself. She had changed into a more conservative, light-green sun dress and yellow ballerina shoes. She had taken a shower and now her brown curls had been placed into a bun at the back of her head, decorated with a matching green ribbon.

''Well there she is!'' Grinning widely, Lancelot turned to look at the young lady descending the stairs ''Did you have a good night sleep, Roxanne?''

Roxy arrived at the bottom of the stairs and let out a small laugh, trying to hide her embarrassment ''Oh, I had an excellent nigh, uncle Lance''

''I'm sure you did'' Lancelot muttered, turning his head discretely to look at the boy staring at his goddaughter in a not-so-discreet manner.

Percival raised a skeptical eyebrow ''It's not like you to oversleep like this, Roxanne. Is everything all right?''

''Oh, teenagers sleep late'' Lancelot raised his hand to caress Roxy's cheek with his thumb. The gesture was actually meant to remove some glitter from under her eye, a reminder from last night's rave.

''I see'' Percival remained skeptical, but decided to drop the subject '''Roxanne, your godfather needs to discuss something with you'' 

''Ah yes, come this way Roxy'' Lancelot gestured towards the living-room.

Roxy felt a wave of panic wash over her. Surely Lancelot hadn't told his father about her indiscretion? Had her mother said something? She nodded quietly, without letting her feelings show, and together they entered the living room. 

Percival Morton stayed behind and turned to look at Eggsy ''We'll discuss our matter in my office. Follow me, Mr. Unwin'' 

Eggsy and Roxy looked at each other for a split second before Lancelot closed the living room door behind him. 

\--------------------- 

Lancelot made his way to the liquor cabinet ''Care for a glass of brandy? You look like you need one'' He'd seen the distressed look on his goddaughter's face. 

Roxy ignored the question and nervously tugged at the hem of her dress ''I'm very sorry about what I put you through this morning'' 

He scoffed ''Don't be silly, Roxy, you didn't put me through anything. And that's not what I want to talk to you about'' Lancelot eyed the bottles in the cabinet. Perhaps it was a bit early for brandy. He finally settled for a bottle of dalmore whiskey. 

''Oh...'' Roxy stood awkwardly by the fireplace, slightly less nervous than before. 

Lancelot poured himself a generous glass of the liquor with just a tiny splash of water. He then gestured towards one of the sofas ''Take a seat, I want to propose something to you. I was just talking about it with your father and I think I've managed to convince him'' He took a long gulp from his glass and sat himself on one of the leather sofas. 

Roxy sat in an armchair in front of her godfather, waiting for him to speak. 

Lancelot musingly looked at his glass of whiskey ''I observed you at your birthday party a couple of weeks ago and you didn't really look like you were enjoying yourself.''

Roxy raised her eyebrows in surprise ''Oh, but it was a lovely party I really...'' 

''It _was_ lovely, but it wasn't _your_ party, it was your mother's. Over half of the people there were your parents' friends, not yours. That party didn't look like you at all'' 

Roxy took a deep breath, looking musingly at the fireplace ''Mum put so much effort into it. It wasn't that bad...'' 

''I'm not criticizing your mother here, Roxanne, you know how much I love Angela. I'm just saying you should have had a party that was truly yours. And that's what I've come here to offer you'' 

Roxy frowned curiously ''What are you suggesting, uncle Lance?'' 

''I'm suggesting you start figuring out what _you_ really want. I've just finished remodeling the top floor of The Vatican; I got the pool all set up and the plasma screens and bar section and all that. You can organize a party up there next Saturday just for you and your friends'' 

The Vatican was a 5-star, 25-storey hotel with a casino, nightclub, and restaurant, all owned by Lancelot. It was one of the most exclusive and fashionable venues in London at the moment; only the most rich and powerful could afford to party there. The top floor was reserved for Lancelot's own private parties, which would often get so out of hand that a 'remodeling' was needed about once a month. It was rumoured that Chris Martin had once thrown all the plasma TV's into the pool after mixing tequila with vodka shots. 

Roxy's eyes widened ''Are you serious? You are letting me host a party at The Vatican?''

''Of course I am. Anything so my goddaughter is happy'' He winked at her and took another gulp from his glass ''I've already talked about it with your father, and as long as you have Mr. Unwin there with you the whole night he has no objections...and I suspect you won't have any objections either'' Lancelot tilted his head and gave Roxy that piercing look she was so familiar with, the one that could see right through her. 

Roxy averted her gaze, trying to avoid the look, to no avail. She couldn't hide anything from her godfather. 

Lancelot leaned back in his arm chair ''Listen, I just hope you know how to be discreet. Your father would certainly object to his daughter sleeping with staff members'' 

Roxy raised her head to look at her godfather, shocked ''I'm not sleeping with him!'' 

''Yet'' Lancelot finished his glass of whiskey with one gulp and laid it on the coffee table in front of him ''Just be careful, it's all I'm asking. You may also want to plan better your nightly escapades, I won't always be there to help you'' 

Lancelot got up to leave ''I'll put you in contact with the Vatican's manager so you can tell him how to decorate the top floor and what food to order and all that. Do anything you want with it, it's your party'' 

When he was about to open the door, Roxy got up on her feet ''Wait, I have to tell you something first'' 

Lancelot turned around to face her, waiting for her to speak. 

Roxy hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth ''Something happened last night. Something really bad'' 

\--------------------- 

''You must carry it at all times, both in and out of the premises''

Percival Morton looked sternly at Eggsy as he handed him a Glock 19. Eggsy had only seen a couple of the older bodyguards carrying a gun. George had one, which seemed to grant him some sense of superiority over Eggsy. The young man found it amusing. 

Eggsy did not let it show, but a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He thought Mr. Morton had brought him to his home office for an entirely different reason, but apparently Mr. Lancelot hadn't said a word about their nightly adventure. He discreetly eyed Mr. Morton, who was dressed in a dark blue vest and white shirt, looking impeccable like he always did. Not a single trace of last night's party on his face or body. 

Despite feeling relief, Eggsy hadn't expected being handed a gun. He tried to hide his surprise ''Is there a reason to be concerned, sir?'' He inspected the semiautomatic weapon in his hand. The serial number had been filed off; it was definitely black market stock.

''We don't know yet'' Percival looked out the window, his hands clasped behind his back. Eggsy hated how he always spoke in half words and secrecy. Not filling people in with all the information wasn't always necessary, but keeping people in the dark could also get them killed. 

He turned away from the window to look at Eggsy ''You know how to use it, right?'' 

''Yeah, I carried one while working for Mr. Lancelot'' 

''Good. In any case, I hope you never have to use it'' Percival walked to his desk and sat down ''It's not loaded. Ask George for ammo, and keep everything safely stored at night'' 

Eggsy was obviously no stranger to guns, but he wasn't sure how he felt about carrying a deadly weapon around Ms. Morton. 

''You may leave now'' 

\--------------------- 

''This is a very serious matter, Roxanne'' Lancelot declared as he leaned his back against the living room door, a deep frown on his face ''We have some very dangerous people after us, and judging from what you've just told me they are much closer than we thought''. 

Roxy was not used to seeing his light-hearted godfather act so serious ''Are you going to tell father'' She asked, nervously.

Lancelot scratched his head, letting out a sigh ''No, I doubt it would do any good. He's already upping the security anyway, apparently one of the remotes used to open the gates has disappeared from his desk''

Roxy's cheeks grew pale and a look of fear appeared in her eyes.

Lancelot raised a curious eyebrow ''You wouldn't happen to know anything about that..?''

''We...we left it in the car, that's why we couldn't get in earlier'' Roxy stared blankly at the fireplace for a moment ''At least..I think we left it there, we didn't check if it was still in the car...''

Lancelot took a couple of steps forward ''Are you saying the guys that came after you last night might have taken it?''

''I don't know...I...oh god I hope not. Maybe that's why they broke the rear window of the car...'' Roxy sat down on one of the sofas, burying her face in her hands.

Lancelot winced ''What a barbaric thing to do to a car. Americans have no respect for German technology'' He shook his head as he reached into his pocket to fish out his phone.

Roxy gave him an apologetic look ''I'm sorry about that too, uncle Lance. It was a beautiful birthday present.''

''Oh please, it's just a car. What matters is that you managed to get away. I'll get you a new Audi before your father even notices the old one is gone. But first I'm gonna call one of my men to go fetch the old one. Maybe the remote is still in there'' 

Roxy stared at her godfather talking on the phone, sorting out the mess she'd made. Her mother was right; it really was time to grow up.


	10. Reason over treason

Eggsy walked out of his mother's flat with an exasperated look on his face. He'd finally gotten some time off and was able to visit his family for a couple of hours. It was Wednesday afternoon and Miss Morton was busy planning her party at The Vatican, so she'd insisted Eggsy visit his mum and little sister. He had given in eventually; Roxy would be safe in her godfather's company. Eggsy appreciated the opportunity to see his family and spend some more time with them, but the visit hadn't exactly gone the way he'd hoped. He had tried to have a proper conversation about money with his mum and convince her to move with Daisy to a better house in west London. After all, he was making good money now and they could afford a better place. Daisy could go to a proper primary school; with smaller classroom-sizes and qualified teachers and iPads and all that modern stuff. There was even this bilingual-school she could go to and learn French.

''Oh, Eggsy, I just don't think it's a good idea right now'' Michelle eyed him worriedly as she folded the clean laundry on the couch.

Eggsy frowned ''Why not? Mum, I don't want Daisy to grow up in this dump and I'm sure you don't want that either'' He put down his tea mug on the coffee table in front of him.

MItchelle sighed ''No, Eggsy, I don't want her to grow up in this 'dump', but you've barely been working for a couple of months. Let's not be hasty. We'll save up some more money and then we can talk''

Eggsy leaned back on the couch and rubbed his temples ''Yeah, okay fine''

Michelle tried to divert the conversation ''How is your 'friend' by the way? Has the ex-boyfriend given you any more trouble?''

Eggsy found it amusing that his mum really thought he and Roxy were together ''Nah, he realized he didn't deserve her and backed off''

Michelle laughed ''Well that's good. How are you two doing then?''

Eggsy sighed ''We're fine mum, everything's good'' His expression turned serious as he stared at the coffee table in front of him. 

Eggsy had spent the past few days thinking a lot about Roxy, or rather, thinking about how much he shouldn't be thinking about her. When he first started working for the Morton family, he had no doubts he'd be able to keep his attraction towards her in check. She was pretty, of course she was, and funny, and clever. Just like so many other girls, right? Nothing special about that. Yet here he was, over a month later, constantly thinking about her; her captivating green eyes, her soft cheeks, her rosy lips, the curve of her hips, her small, round breasts and how his hands would perfectly fit around them. While doing rounds in the yard outside the mansion (which was boring as hell) Eggsy would find himself thinking about how he would kiss her, what her lips would taste like, how he'd bury his hands in those luscious brown locks and caress the curve of her spine. He would immediately catch himself and push those thoughts aside; Miss Morton was off limits, how many times did he have to remind himself? And yet...the electricity he'd felt between them at the club was real, right? The way she'd looked at him, the way she'd squeezed his arm, her laughter, her eyes...

Eggsy laughed at himself. What a fool; did he really think a posh girl would fall for him? And even if she did, how long would she keep him around before she realized he was just some street rat that could never offer her anything? No money, no royal titles, no fancy sports cars or week-ends in the countryside, no trips to the Seychelles or Ibiza. Roxy deserved someone who could offer her all that and more. Eggsy remembered the army of young, rich bachelors that had circled her at her birthday party, all waiting for their turn to speak to her, to shower her with expensive gifts. They would come to visit her all the time too, with some pretext or another, wanting to invite her to a ball or a trip on their yacht or whatever. Eggsy would always feel a pang of jealousy, wishing _he_ could be that guy, the guy to win over the girl.

As he walked down his old neighborhood, lost in thought, he suddenly heard a familiar voice call out from one of the balconies above.

''Well hey there luv, haven't seen ya in a while'' A blonde girl with tattooed arms smiled at him seductively.

Eggsy flashed her his standard, charming grin ''Didn't know you'd missed me'' He knew her, they've hooked up a couple of times in the past. She was the local tattoo artist who lived a couple of flats under his mum's. The girl had always been nice to Eggsy and she had a gritty sense of humour that he found hard to resist. They chatted for a minute before the girl invited him to come up to her flat.

To his surprise, Eggsy turned her down, something he'd never done in his life ''Sorry luv, gotta get back to work'' 

She gave him a disappointed look but nodded understandingly. 

Before he could resume his walk she called out ''Hey...''

Eggsy turned to look at her.

''I'm glad you got out. Seriously. This place is a dump'' 

Eggsy smiled at her ''Tell your boyfriend I said hi''

\----------------------------------

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Roxy was busy planning the event of the century. She had already discussed the decorations and the food with the manager of The Vatican. The only thing she had to do now was let him now how many people were coming so he'd have all the catering ready. Roxy sat down in The Vatican's lobby and started making a list of the people she really wanted to invite; closest friends, some people from her uni, a couple of her cousins... That made 11 people.

Roxy frowned. _11 people_? That didn't make for much of a party, did it? How was she supposed to organize the 'event of the century' for such a small group? The top floor of The Vatican alone could host at least a 100 people. Roxy leaned back in her chair. She didn't have too many friends, did she? She felt a pang sadness in her chest. She'd been shy as a child, and had only made a handful of friends in middle school. Her parents had wished her to make friends with the children of some of the most influential people in London, and from an early age they would often take Roxy to parties and make her socialize with everyone, something which had made her incredibly anxious. She had reacted by withdrawing from social activities as much as possible, making up excuses whenever her parents wanted to take her somewhere. She would lock herself in her father's library and read for hours, lost to the world. Tired of arguing with her, her parents had eventually given in and let her stay at home. Roxy had eventually grown out of her reclusiveness, and these day she had no problems socializing and making small talk with people at her parents' dinner parties. Still, she would often feel lonely, not quite sure what her place was in this world of wealth, power, and great expectations. 

Roxy though of her newest friend, Eggsy. Of course, he would be at the party too. That made 12 people. She'd been so busy the past few days she'd barely had time to see him, let alone have a discussion with him about what had happened at the rave. Lancelot had retrieved the car, the remote still in the back seat. Roxy had sighed in relief; it would have given the Americans the power to disable the whole alarm system of the Mansion. Either way, her father had already changed the codes, so the remote would not have worked anyway. Eggsy had returned the remote to Mr. Morton's office first thing on Monday, saying he'd forgotten to give it back after a round in the yard. His explanation made no one raise and eyebrow, so the matter was forgotten.

Roxy's eyes turned to look at the last name she'd just scribbled on the guest list. _Eggsy_. Roxy still hadn't quite figured out how she felt about him. Every time she tried to examine her feelings her godfather's warning resonated in her ears. Was it really wise to get involved with a _bodyguard_? Even if said bodyguard was incredibly charming, funny, and had the face and body of a Greek god...

Roxy snapped herself out of her train of thought. Her father would certainly kill him, her mother too probably. They didn't mind the lower classes working for them, but actually having one of them court their daughter? Not in a million years. Sure, Princess Stéphanie of Monaco had married her bodyguard and gotten away with it, but Roxy wasn't a princess, and she didn't have enough courage to stand up to her family anyway. 

In any case, was it just physical attraction? Because if so, was it really worth it? She didn't want to toy with him. If indeed her feelings towards the handsome bodyguard were pure lust, then the remedy would certainly be to invite some of the cute bachelors she'd met at her birthday party. Surely one of them could satisfy her longings just fine. No need to put Eggsy's job (or life) in jeopardy. Yes, that was the smart, rational move.

Scribbling down some more names in her notebook, Roxy almost didn't notice when Eggsy walked into the lobby. He had insisted on picking her up after she'd finished talking with the manager so they could drive home together. Roxy raised her hand to wave at him, and as soon as he saw her he flashed her that radiant smile that made her stomach muscles tighten. 

''All ready for the big day?'' He curiously eyed the notebook on the table in front of her. 

Roxy closed the notebook, embarrassed ''Yeah, almost'' She now had a 'grand' total of 17 guests, no less. 

''Let's get going then'' He winked at her, causing Roxy to snort and throw a piece of paper at him. 

\----------------------------------

They walked down The Vatican's parking lot towards Roxy's brand new audi (the one that had replaced the original). Roxy kept looking at Eggsy from the corner of her eye. 

''Eggsy...'' She hesitated. 

''Yeah?'' 

''Would you like to invite some of your friends to the party?'' 

Eggsy's eyes widened as he turned to look at her, surprised by her offer ''Seriously? You want me to bring some of my friends?'' 

''Yeah, I mean, why not. It will be more fun, right? I'm sure you have really cool friends'' 

Eggsy was quiet for a moment, slightly taken aback ''Um, would it really be okay? I mean, would your dad or Mr. Lancelot mind?'' 

''It doesn't matter, it's my party. Seriously, invite anyone you like''


	11. The gamble

Roxy curiously eyed Eggsy's guests as they entered the venue one by one. They had clearly made quite and effort dressing up, putting on their best gears. Most of the boys dressed similar to Eggsy, with polo shirts, sneakers, and snap backs. Most of the girls were in mini dresses with heels or tight jeans with colourful tops. There were some exceptions though; a handful of guests ascribed to the punk-rock or grunge aesthetic. Two girls were dressed in long hippie dresses akin to those worn by Stevie Nicks in the seventies. Roxy also spotted a couple of hipsters with groomed bears and 'ironic' t-shirts with obscure texts. All in all, they were a colourful bunch. Roxy wondered how Eggsy had so many friends; he must be a very social person. Eggsy was greeting his friends as they came through the door, giving them high fives or fist bumps (or a hug and a kiss if the guest was a girl). They all seemed very happy to see him, laughing and patting his back.

The hippie girls came over to Roxy and eagerly thanked her for inviting them to such a nice party. Roxy smiled bashfully, she wasn't sure what kind of friends she'd thought Eggsy would have. Some of the guys also came up to Roxy, complimenting the venue while discreetly eyeing her up and down. One of them went as far as kissing her hand when introducing himself, probably thinking that was the proper way to greet a posh lady.

''Oi Ryan what are you doin'?!'' Eggsy called out, approaching them from behind.

Ryan grinned at him and gently lay down Roxy's hand ''Just greeting the lady here''

''Get out of here ya punk'' Eggsy playfully shoved him towards the cocktail table.

\--------------------------------------------

Roxy looked around the main room. The top floor of The Vatican had been constructed as a kind of bachelor style-loft, with tall white walls and warm wooden floors. It had ample windows showcasing the heart of London, as well as a sizable balcony with a pool and a hot tub. The inside of the loft had plasma tv's in every corner, a bunch of couches and arm chairs, as well as a big marble fireplace. Lancelot had dragged there all kinds of toys, from pool tables to football tables, a couple of ping pong tables and even a karaoke machine. It had all been carefully designed to ensure no guest ever had a dull moment during parties. Roxy looked around to see guests scattered around, eager to inspect every corner of the venue. Some had immediately decided to take a dip in the big pool on the balcony and savour the warm summer night. A bunch had made camp next to the bar section where three baristas were skilfully whipping out all kinds of colourful cocktails and shots. Three punk rockers were inspecting the tasteful canapes by the buffet table, trying to figure out what they were made of.

There had initially been some weirdness between Eggsy's and Roxy's guests. The posh kids wondered who were those tackily dressed, loud, mannerless individuals Roxy had agreed to invite to her party, while the South Londoners were annoyed by the massive stick the snotty posh kids seemed to have up their arses.

Luckily, that wonderful social lubricant that is alcohol had soon started to work its magic, and now you could see posh kids and South Londoners playing beer pong side by side, having the time of their lives, laughing and cracking jokes like old friends. Roxy had made sure the first thing everyone did as soon as they arrived was to get a drink in their hand. She'd also been out on the look, intercepting and interrupting every minor scuffle before it had time to get out of hand.

After going around for a while greeting guests and making sure everyone was having a good time, Roxy took a moment to sit down on one of the couches in front of one of the massive plasma tv's. She'd barely managed to lean back and sigh when a familiar hand was handing her a cocktail. She looked to her right to see Eggsy standing by the couch.

''A margarita for the hostess?'' He winked at her and sat by her side.

Roxy laughed and gratefully took the cocktail in her hand ''Thank you, I really need this''

''Made sure everyone's having fun? You really are a dedicated hostess aren't ya'' Eggsy grinned at her as he took a sip of his beer. He admired her for how she'd gone out of her way to make sure everyone was having a good time. He'd done his best to help, making sure none of his own guests tried to start any shit with the posh kids.

Roxy raised an eyebrow ''The hostess has to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves or it's not a party at all''

''Hm-m. And is the hostess enjoying herself?''

Roxy tilted her head and gave him an amused look ''Now that you are here, yes''

They both laughed, trying to ignore the deeper meaning of that comment.

Roxy let her eyes wander around the loft ''You have so many friends, Eggsy'' She said, a hint of admiration in her voice. She had counted 25 people.

He took a sip of his beer and looked at the people gathered around a pool table ''Eh, I didn't have time to invite that many since it was a last minute thing'' He looked at Roxy from the corner of his eye ''You invited quite a few people too''

Roxy smiled, staring at the drink in her hand ''Really? 14 people doesn't seem like much'' Three of her guests hadn't managed to make it. After all, she'd barely given a week's warning and some had already made plans.

''Yeah, well, quality over quantity, right? Some of my guests are just people I hang out with at the pub or at house parties. Don't really know them all that well'' Some of the girls he _did_ know quite well though...intimately even...

They suddenly noticed a slightly tipsy Ryan walking towards them from the pool table. He stopped in front of them, dramatically putting one hand on his hips and extending the other one to point a finger at Eggsy.

''I've come here to cHALLENGE YOU'' With a serious expression he stared Eggsy straight in the eye.

Eggsy grinned and raised a curious eyebrow ''What are you talking, bruv?''

Ryan didn't say a word, but instead pointed at the massive plasma tv in the middle of the room and the karaoke mics.

With a loud bang Eggsy laid his beer on the coffee table in front of him ''YOU ARE ON YOU BASTARD''

\-------------------------------------------

Ryan selected 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight' from The Lion King (I mean, c'mon, it's a classic). Initially it had everyone present hollering and laughing uncontrollably, but after a minute or so everyone calmed down and concentrated on listening. Roxy was captivated by Eggsy's voice; the boy could definitely sing. He had a wide vocal range and didn't miss one single note. Ryan wasn't bad either, not at all. She'd been surprised when Eggsy had accepted his challenge, not knowing boys like them would sing karaoke. Both boys stood in front of the tv with a mic in their hands, putting on a very camp show, dramatically moving their free hand to emphasize emotion. Their expressions were priceless too, full of zeal and intense frowning, something which had guests sniggering every now and then. After they finished the singing, the crows erupted in loud cheers and whistles (Eggsy had won, but only by a couple of points margin). A bunch of girls soon started to circle both boys, impressed with their skills. Roxy suspected singing was a strategy they used on the regular to pull girls, and damn did it work. A couple of Roxy's own girlfriends were hovering around Eggsy, complimenting him and asking him to sing with them. Roxy felt a pang of jealousy in her chest, which she quickly shoved aside. Time to stop being silly about it. Eggsy could do whatever he wanted. She got up to fetch herself another drink when a couple of the young bachelor's she'd invited approached her. Roxy didn't complain; maybe now was the moment to find someone that would make her forget about Eggsy.

\------------------------------------------

Eggsy watched from one of the couches as four guys gathered around Roxy to chat her up. Two of them were his own guests; Jamal and one of the hipster boys. Jamal, ever the smooth talker, had apparently just cracked one of his hilarious jokes that had Roxy almost bend over with laughter. Another guy was trying to show her a trick using a straw and two cocktail glasses piled up on top of each other. Roxy was smiling, eyes sparkling and looking greatly amused by the antics they boys were displaying in an effort to grab her attention. She looked gorgeous in that blue pencil dress with a deep cleavage, the one she'd wanted to wear to the rave. He would have killed a man just to get to kiss that neck, those arms, those thighs. It was almost too painful to watch, see how those other men tried to have his way with her. Eggsy had seen how most of his male guests had 'discreetely' ogled her when they'd first arrived. He almost regretted having invited so many lads. But why did he even care? It was ridiculous; Roxy and him were not together, and he'd promised himself he wouldn't try anything. He really needed to let it go. In an effort to distract himself from that horrible show playing in front of him, Eggsy tried to concentrate on the to two girls currently sitting next to him on the couch

''Eggsy, try this pink cocktail, the barista said it has some shit called ginseng in it'' One of the girls shoved a glass in Eggsy's face and he took a sip.

''Disgusting'' He winced, causing the girls to erupt in laughter.

\--------------------------------------

After three hours of beer pong, dancing, doing some shots, singing karaoke and taking a dip in the pool, someone suggested going down to the casino and playing a couple of rounds of black jack. Roxy's guests all eagerly grabbed their purses and wallets, ready to burn through their hefty allowances. Eggsy's friends would also be able to join in on the fun, as all guests were provided with one hundred chips, courtesy of Mr. Lancelot. Eggsy decided to stay behind, knowing the guests' company plus the hotel security were more than enough to keep Roxy safe. Jamal and Ryan tried their best to convince him to come, but eventually gave up. Roxy worriedly asked if everything was okay. He smiled at her, assuring her everything was fine and he'd just had a bit too much to drink and needed to chill for a minute. He'd join them later. To be honest, Eggsy wasn't in the mood for partying anymore. Seeing Roxy talking with her suitors had given him a sick feeling, like someone had closed a tight fist around his guts. Shit, he really needed to get over himself or soon he wouldn't be able to work for the Mortons.

After everyone had left for the casino, Eggsy walked out on the balcony to gaze at the stars. It was one of those rare nights in which despite the pollution you could see the stars shine bright on the London sky. The night air had turned crisp and steam was oozing off the bright blue pool. He poured himself a glass of champagne from the mini-bar outside and sat on one of the couches near the pool.

He must have dozed off, for after half an hour or so he woke up to the sound of steps coming from behind him.

Eggsy put his champagne glass down on the table and turned his head to look at her ''You're back early, how did it go at the casino?''

Roxy grinned, walking to the side of the couch ''Your friend Jamal is doing quite well. Can't say the same about Ryan; he burnt through all his chips in twenty minutes. I gave him mine before I came here''

Eggsy snorted ''Ya know that's money you'll never see again, right? Gambling really isn't his thing''

Roxy gave him a small smile ''Mine neither''

Eggsy nodded quietly, watching as she slowly moved closer to the pool in front of them. He found it impossible to take his eyes off her. It killed him that she was so close, yet unreachable.

He managed to avert his eyes to stare at his champagne glass instead ''Listen...'' He started ''Thanks for letting me invite my mates tonight. They said it's the party of the year''

Roxy nodded, looking absent minded ''Don't mention it. I'm glad they're enjoying themselves''

She kicked off her heels and squatted over the edge of the pool, dipping her hand into the clear, light-blue water ''It was really hot down there you know, I wanted to come back and take a dip in the pool. Want to join me?''

Eggsy looked at her in surprise ''Oh, I didn't bring my swimming trunks''

''Me neither'' She got up and started to unzip her dress, letting it fall to her feet. Eggsy watched as the steam oozing out of the pool enveloped her, creamy white skin glistening in the moon light. She was wearing a black-laced bralette with matching knickers. He swallowed hard, feeling his heart beat speed up. Why did she torture him like this?

Roxy smiled at him, teasingly ''You are not shy, are you?''

Eggsy scoffed and started pulling off his shirt.

\-----------------------------------------

The water felt warm in the cool summer night. They were on opposite sides of the pool, close but not close enough. For a while they chatted about menial stuff; the weird cocktails, the drunk karaoke singers...Eventually they both fell silent.

Eggsy turned to look at some of the buildings in the distance, lost in thought. He really couldn't do this, could he? Being in a pool together with a gorgeous woman had to be every man's dream, but knowing he could never really have her triggered such an intense feeling of despair in him that it was almost unbearable. It scared Eggsy; he had never felt that way. He would seriously have to start considering resigning if he wasn't able to cope with his feelings.

He almost didn't notice Roxy slowly swimming closer to him. Eggsy turned to face her, surprised as she gently placed her hands on his naked shoulder and wrapped her thighs around his waist.

Eggsy tensed ''Rox, what are you doing?''

''I'm figuring out what I want''


	12. In your arms

Eggsy instinctly grabbed the thighs that had been wrapped around his waist, but didn't dare to do much else. He gazed into Roxy's eyes, that bright emerald-green that had him captivated. There was electricity in the air, and Eggsy felt like the temperature of the pool water had suddenly gone up.

Roxy lowered her face closer to his, and placed one hand on his heart ''Are you nervous, love..?'' Her voice was soft and seductive, making Eggsy's heart beat so fast that Roxy worried she was going to give him a heart attack. Indeed, having a beautiful pair of breasts practically in his face would have made any boy's heart race like a runaway train.

Before Eggsy could do or say anything, Roxy suddenly leaned forward and hugged him tight, her arms around his neck and her nose buried in his collarbone.

Eggsy noticed he'd been holding his breath, feeling like his heart was going to explode. He slowly started to relax, feeling the warmth of her body encircle him. He let go of one of her thighs and placed one arm around her waist instead. He returned the embrace and buried his face in the scent of her neck; Roxy smelled like lavender and vanilla.

Roxy gently pulled back and cupped his face with her hands.

Her voice was barely a whisper ''You are a beautiful boy, you know that?'' She paused and gently ran a finger down his cheek ''A bit sad though...'' The last part was barely audible, and before Eggsy could even register it, Roxy leaned in to kiss him passionately. He felt a wave of heat wash through him, from head to toe, making every nerve in his body come alive. Eggsy returned the kiss eagerly and tightened his grip on her, pulling their bodies closer together.

After a while, Roxy gently pulled away, eliciting a frustrated groan out of Eggsy. She ran her fingers through Eggsy's hair and began kissing his shoulders, slowly making her way up his neck. She kissed him like she wanted to eat him whole, running her teeth across the pulse on his neck, still quick, although a bit more regular than before. She smiled victoriously against his skin when a moan escaped his mouth.

Eggsy was busy exploring Roxy's thighs and hips with his hands; that soft skin he'd been dying to touch. Her body felt hot against his, and he could feel blood flowing to his groin. How long had it been since he'd been with a girl? He'd been so busy since he'd started working for the Morton's that he'd completely forgotten about his needs. Eggsy reached a hand up her back to undo her bra, and by the time he had a nipple in his mouth he was painfully hard. Roxy's whimpering only made his longing more intense, and he decided to slip a hand between her thighs. He felt her tense a bit.

''You okay?'' He asked, taking a moment to look into her eyes.

She let out a breathless laugh ''Yeah, go on'' She tried to focus on kissing his neck again, but Eggsy's talented fingers were making it increasingly hard for her to concentrate.

Eggsy felt her warmth against his fingertips as he continued rubbing her through her underwear. She writhed at his touch, trying to stifle her whimpers by burying her head in his neck. After a while she was moaning his name accompanied with multiple _Don't stop_ s, and by the time the wave of pleasure had washed over her she'd left visible teeth marks on his neck.

Eggsy grinned, poking his nose into the head that was resting against his shoulders ''Go easy on me babe''

Roxy arched her back to meet his eyes, smiling as she pulled him into another passionate kiss. She raked her fingernails down Eggsy's chest, making him moan into her mouth.

After a while, Roxy unhooked her thighs from around his waist so they could both get rid of the rest of their underwear. After discarding his boxers, Eggsy reached out to gently grab Roxy's hips, pulling her closer. She looked at him slightly hesitantly for a moment.

''Is this okay..?'' He asked, taking a step back.

She nodded, now with a confident smile ''Yes''

''You know we don't hav...''

She grabbed his toned arms to pull him closer '' _I really really want to_...''

Eggsy grinned and effortlessly grabbed her thighs, making her giggle ''Just tell me if you want me to stop, 'kay?''

Roxy nodded, and Eggsy gently guided himself in. They both let out a breathless gasp, their faces inched from each others. He watched her blushed cheeks and swollen lips, half parted. He was dying to taste them again, and he pulled her into a kiss. He started picking out a slow rhythm with his hips, drawing the sweetest, high-pitched moans out of Roxy. If Eggsy thought he couldn't get any harder, he was wrong. He mumbled into her hair; _You're gorgeous, Rox._..

\-------------

They grabbed a couple of bathrobes that had been left for the guests and sat on the couch on the balcony. They were snuggled close to each other, Roxy resting her head on Eggsy's chest. He had his hand securely wrapped around Roxy's waist, and he was resting his chin on her head.

Eggsy was the first one to break the silence ''Were you all right earlier? You seemed a bit tense at times''

Roxy averted his eyes and stared at the pool ''Oh, yeah, I was fine...you know, it's just...it was our first time together so...''

Eggsy remained skeptical; he had a good eye for these things ''You sure? I didn't go too fast?'' He'd done his best to slow himself down, to savor the moment and not ruin things by rushing. He _was_ the kind of lover who liked to take his time, but having a woman like Roxy in his arms had filled him with an unprecedented urgency.

Roxy let out a small sigh ''Yes, I'm sure, Eggsy. It was also my first time, so that might have had something to do with it''

Eggsy perked himself up ''You were a virgin?'' he looked at her astonished ''Why on earth didn't you tell me?''

She shrugged and kept staring at the pool in front of them ''Does it matter?''

''I...I dunno Rox, maybe I'd been more gentle or gone more slow or something''

''You _were_ gentle and you didn't rush, Eggsy, seriously. Don't make a big deal out of this''

It had hurt a bit though when he was inside her, probably because she'd been slightly nervous. Roxy had decided not to tell Eggsy that it was her first time; she'd thought he might think it was unsexy or weird to be with an inexperienced girl. She had worried she wouldn't know how to touch him, and he would notice and it would all be an awkward mess. Sure, Roxy had kissed boys, and she'd once even allowed Charlie to cop a feel through her shirt (he wasn't always an asshole, plus he was very good looking so she'd made an exception that one time...). But other than that Roxy was very much a novice. She had tried to look like she knew what she was doing, passionately kissing and caressing every inch of Eggsy's body. Except _that_ part. Roxy had no idea how to handle that. She had felt him grow hard against her, and she'd wanted to reach down a curious hand to touch him but hadn't dared. She wouldn't have known what to do anyway. She noticed her cheeks reddening again, this time not from lust but from embarrassment. Roxy hated feeling like this; small and helpless and naïve.

Eggsy scratched the back of his head, still looking slightly upset ''Yeah but...this was your first time, we should've done something more romantic, like, at least do it on a bed or somewhere more comfortable''

Roxy smiled ''We can still do that'' She reached to kiss Eggsy's neck, sending another wave of heat down his spine right to his...

She remover her lips form his neck and rested her head on his chest ''Was it okay though..?'' She asked, sheepishly.

Eggsy frowned and looked down at her in surprise ''Okay? What, the sex?''

''Yeah'' She mumbled ''I mean...You had fun right..?'' Roxy tried not to let her embarrassment show.

Eggsy placed a hand on her cheek and made her look at him ''Rox, that was the most 'fun' I've had in my entire life. Seriously. But what I want to know is did _you_ have fun?''

She grinned and tried to get away from him but he didn't let her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her towards him.

''You ain't gonna get shy on me now, Rox. I wanna hear how much you liked it''

She giggled and tried to pull away ''Let me go!''

He squeezed her sides to tickle her ''Call me lover boy''

''Eggsy, no!'' She pushed his face away, unable to control her laughter.

Suddenly, an upset voice made them both turn around ''Hey, you two!''

Lancelot was standing by the balcony door, looking very agitated.

Eggsy immediately let go of Roxy's waist, and she quickly tied the bathrobe tighter around her body ''Oh, uncle Lance, we were just...''

''Never mind that. Something has come up. Something bad''

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that this is a fanfic; in real life pool sex is not that comfortable, plus always remember to use protection!!


	13. Paralyzed

''Dad's been shot..?'' Roxy heard the words coming out of her own mouth, but they sounded distant, as if someone else had uttered them.

''Yes, about an hour ago at your house. They rushed him to the hospital and he's in surgery now'' Lancelot poured himself a hefty glass of whiskey, trying his best to control his slightly trembling hands. Roxy had never seen her godfather so agitated, almost spilling his drink all over the carpet. They trio had gone back inside and were now standing by the bar section. Eggsy was quiet, looking incredulously at Lancelot with a deep frown on his face.

Roxy took a deep breath, trying to stop the panic from taking over ''But..who..? How...?''

Lancelot didn't answer, and instead took another long gulp from his glass.

Roxy moved closer to him, searching for eye contact ''What hospital is he at? Is he going to be okay? What the hell happened!? How did this happen, talk to me!''

Lancelot kept staring into the distance, glassy-eyed and in shock. Roxy let out a huff and rushed to her purse to dig out her cellphone; her mother had called her three times just ten minutes ago.

\-------------

They sat in the lobby of the ICU. Eggsy had insisted on going with them, and neither Roxy nor Lancelot had objected. Most of the party goers had already gone home, and those who hadn't would surely manage by themselves.

As soon as they arrived at the ICU Roxy asked about her father. An elderly nurse with thick, grandma-like glasses told them Mr. Morton was still in surgery, and a doctor would soon come and speak with them. Mrs. Morton on the other hand had been so upset that the doctors had had to sedate her, and she was currently resting in a quiet room. They sat themselves in the empty lobby, with Lancelot initially trying to make awkward small talk, but eventually gaving up. No one was in the mood for chit chat, so they waited in silence.

After an nerve-racking hour, one of the surgeons finally came to speak with them. Mr. Morton was stable now, albeit still in a coma. The bullet had perforated one of the arteries close to the heart and he'd lost a lot of blood. The next 48 hours would be critical in establishing a prognosis, but right now the doctors gave him a 70% chance of survival. Upon hearing this, Lancelot immediately launched into one of his unstoppable rambles, something he did whenever he was either drunk or nervous; _70 percent! That is very good, very...He's going to be fine, Roxy, you'll see, your dad is a tough one..._

Roxy, being more cautious, took the news quietly, and continued to stare at the ugly linoleum floors that covered the lobby's floor. The doctor left them with a sympathetic look, promising to come back if there were any updates on Mr. Morton's condition. They were left alone in the lobby with bright, fluorescent lights casting ghostly shadows on the gray walls.

Eggsy felt completely useless just sitting there. What the hell had happened? Was this the American mafia? And where the hell had George been? Why didn't he stop his employer from getting shot?

He turned to Roxy and comfortingly rubbed her back, not really knowing what to say ''Rox, is there anything I can do? Anything?''

Roxy let out a long, exhausted sigh ''Nothing, Eggsy. We can only wait''

''You want me to get you something from the cafeteria?''

Lancelot suddenly irrupted into the conversation ''Excellent idea, here, take this and bring us coffees and chocolate bars or something'' He thrust a couple of bills into Eggsy's hand, who gave him a weird look but chose not to say anything.

''I'll be back in a bit, yeah?'' He squeezed her shoulder, smiling sympathetically.

With a little nod she returned the smile, although it was a sad one.

\-------------------------------------

They waited for him to disappear into the corridor. Roxy had her fists tightly pursed to her knees, looking like she was about to murder someone.

''What the hell happened to my father?'' Her voice was ice cold, same as the look on her face.

''Roxanne, we need to have a serious conversation...''

''Yeah you bet we do''

''...about the company. Your father is incapable of presiding the board right now, and there are a lot of things we need to sort out''

Roxy's jaw dropped, looking at her godfather in shock ''Are you serious? My father is in there fighting for his life and all you can think about is your bloody business?''

''I know. But we are at a very critical point in our investments. We need someone to sign contracts and transactions. Roxy, we could lose the entire company, your _father's_ company and all he's worked for...''

She gave him a disgusted look, slightly raising her voice ''Oh, don't you try to manipulate me like that! I'm not five years old. That bloody company can go to hell for all I care, look what mess it got us all into!''

Lancelot took a long breath, looking apologetic ''I'm sorry, Roxanne, I...I'm sorry...

Not knowing what else to say, they both fell quiet.

Roxy leaned back in the white plastic chair. The whole situation was simply horrid.

''Why are you not asking my mother to take over? Or why don't you do it?''

Lancelot scratched the back of his head, looking defeated ''Your poor mother is in no condition of being in charge of anything right now, and legally I can't take over. Your father stipulated that only a Morton can be president of the board...Look, Roxy, the company isn't even our biggest issue right now; we need to find out how we're going to get the American mob off our backs''

''I should have told him...We should have told him what happened at the club'' She buried her face in her hands.

''Hey, now, Roxanne, this wasn't your fault, okay? You got dragged into our mess and I'm so sorry about that. Listen, we're going to sort this out one way or another. I'll ask Angela to preside the board when she gets better and...''

''I'll do it'' She straightened up in her chair, her eyes still wet.

''Roxy...''

''I said I'll do it. Get the paperwork ready'' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and got up. She needed some fresh air.

\-------------------------

Eggsy was standing in the line of the cafeteria, looking at some plastic-wrapped sandwiches. He let out a deep sigh. What a terrible ending to the best night of his life. He wasn't exactly a fan of Percival Morton, but he'd always treated him with respect, even if he had the personality of a cold brick wall. Eggsy really hoped he wouldn't die, mainly because 1. Roxy would be absolutely devastated and 2. Eggsy would lose his job at the Morton's and he might have to go back to working for Mr. Lancelot...either that or risk his family going homeless.

And with all this mess going on Eggsy could still not stop thinking about the fact that Roxy hadn't told him she was a virgin. Did she not trust him? Or was it really not that a big deal to her? No, Eggsy didn't believe that; of course it was a big deal. First times are important. He would make sure to have another conversation with Roxy about it, but now was not the time.

He'd also been slightly ticked off by how eagerly Lancelot had showed the money into his hands, almost as if he wanted him out of there as quickly as possible. It didn't bother him _per se_ ; after all, Eggsy wasn't part of the family and Lancelot probably wanted to be alone with his goddaughter for a bit. But the gesture had left him wondering about where he stood in all this, in this family. What did tonight mean? Did Roxy want to be with him? Did she...? Eggsy was weary of using that word 'love'. But there was something there, something deeper going on between them. What would happen now? He shook his head and let out a deep sigh. In any case, whatever was going on between Roxy and him would not be sorted out any time soon. They had this huge mess to deal with first. Why did things always go to shit just when they were about to get good?

He noticed his phone vibrate; Ryan had texted him asking where he was. Apparently, someone had thrown up at the black jack table and they'd all been kicked out of the casino. They were now heading to The Black Prince with some of the posh kids, and Eggsy and Roxy were more than welcome to join them. He stared at the screen for a moment before typing back, saying something had come up and they were now heading home. He really didn't have the energy to come up with an elaborate excuse. The phone vibrated again after a moment, a winking emoji appearing on the screen. Eggsy snorted and put the phone back in his pocket. He paid for a couple of cheese-and-bacon-sandwiches and got out of there as quickly as possible.

\-------------------------

Roxy was sitting on a bench by the hospital parking lot, watching how the swirls of white smoke coming from her mouth evaporated into the night sky.

''Didn't know you smoked''

Roxy turned her head to see Eggsy smiling at her.

''Yeah, me neither'' She took another long drag from the cigarette in her hand. She liked how the smoke burned her lungs. Roxy practically never smoked, but right now she felt like hurting herself a bit. She often carried a pack in her purse, but it was mostly for show.

Eggsy nodded quietly, sitting down next to her ''Can I have one?''

She passed him the whole pack and the lighter.

''I got sandwiches if you want...'' He offered. Roxy smiled in response and took another drag from her cigarette. She felt like her head was spinning, and everything seemed distant, cloudy. It must have been the shock.

No one spoke for a while, both looking at the night sky. It was hard to imagine that they'd made love barely a couple of hours ago. It all now seemed so far away.

''Eggsy..?''

He let out a puff of smoke ''Yeah?''

Roxy scooted closer to rest her head on his shoulder ''Can you sing something to me? Anything...''

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. Slowly, the lyrics from _Cough Syrup_ started to come out of his mouth;

_Life's too short to even care at all,_

_I'm losing my mind losing my mind losing control_

_These fishes in the sea they're staring at me,_

_A wet world aches for a beat of a drum..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the version of the song that Eggsy is singing here--> http://faefriend.tumblr.com/post/67994211336/cough-syrup-acoustic-young-the-giant-lifes


	14. Revelations

The next three weeks following her father's shooting went by in a haze. Roxy had a lot to learn, and she had to learn it quick. She spent long days at the office, getting acquainted with the ins and outs of running a company. She talked with the accountants and the managers and the investors. She sat through long business meetings, barely managing to understand half of what was talked about. The older CEOs would subtly roll their eyes or grin at her, wondering how this little girl could have been appointed as head of Cronos Corporation. Roxy ignored their looks, even if she was hurt by their arrogance and patronizing attitude. She fought back by investing even more hours into getting to know how to run the company. She went to her father's home office and picked up all the books about business and investing. She read through all the company records she could get hold of. She demanded Lancelot give her access to the 'hidden' records as well, the ones that detailed the sketchy part of their business; money laundering, bribes, hidden accounts in tax havens etc. She would sit alone in her room late into the night reading about the stock market, crying out in anger and frustration because it was all so complicated and messy and alien to her. Luckily, Roxy was smart, very smart in fact, and slowly she was starting to get the hang of it.

Roxy was lucky the semester at the university hadn't started yet, otherwise she wouldn't have had the time to tend to her father's business. However, while lying awake in her bed at night after yet another long, exhausting day at the company headquarters, she wondered if she even wanted to continue her studies. It all seemed so...irrelevant in the aftermath of her father's shooting. Percival was still in a coma, and even though the doctors were fairly optimistic, Roxy wasn't ready to rejoice just yet. She would sigh in relief once she saw his father open his eyes. Once his father returned to the company, Roxy would start thinking about what she really wanted to do with school. She'd always been interested in coding, but having to _study_ it and sit through long lectures about it hadn't been as exciting as she'd imagined. But now was not the time to worry about that.

Something else also kept her awake at night; the thought of a certain charming rogue with blonde hair and a devilish grin. She rarely got to see Eggsy these days, and when she did, they only had time to talk about business. They would briefly discuss any changes in staff or security, and soon she was already hurrying out the door to the office or to another business lunch with the investors. She wished they'd had time to just sit down and talk about them, about where they stood. She hadn't forgotten about their night together, not at all. In fact, it was all Roxy could think about. Even when her nose was buried deep in some business manual, or when she was chairing a meeting with potential investors, the memory was still there, throbbing somewhere in the back of her mind. The memory of their bodies intertwined, of his hand between her thighs... She feared she would soon start to forget what his touch felt like, what his lips tasted like, how it had felt when he'd been inside her. She hoped with all her heart that this mess would soon be over and things could go back to the way they were.

Roxy's mother hadn't been much of a help. She'd barely moved from her husband's bedside in the past three weeks. Roxy had tried to convince her to at least spend the nights at home, but her suggestion had been met with cold looks and head-shaking. Her mum would reproach her about spending more time at the office than at the hospital. Roxy just gritted her teeth and bit her tongue; she hadn't asked to be put in this position. She had agreed to sign a contract and take the responsibility her mother refused to shoulder with.

Roxy had obviously laid down a set of conditions before signing anything. First of all, Roxy demanded to be allowed to run the company her own way, and Lancelot would support all her decisions in front of the board. Second, from now on the company would only provide _legal_ business advice, so no more tax-evasion or bribery or other sketchy stuff. They would cut ties with all customers who didn't run 100% legal businesses. Compensations would be paid if necessary. Lancelot found the second condition hard to accept. It would take a big effort to convince the board about it. He eventually gave in though, figuring that a legally run company was better than no company at all, plus he did not want what had happened to Pecival be repeated. What surprised him though was his goddaughter's third and last condition.

Lancelot raised a curious eyebrow, half a smile playing on his lips ''Are you serious?''

''Deadly serious'' Roxy continued reading through the papers she was supposed to sign, not raising her eyes to look at her godfather ''You release Eggsy from his contract. He's not bound to you in anyway anymore. You leave him alone and get yourself another bodyguard to handle your dirty business''

Lancelot chuckled, sloshing around the glass of whiskey in his hand. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing his goddaughter with his curious gaze ''Is this... _love_?''

She ignored the question ''Do you accept my conditions or not?''

''I will, if you explain to me why you care so much about this boy''

Roxy raised her eyes to look at him defiantly ''I don't think anyone should have to do what you've made him do''

''That's bullshit, Roxanne, that's not why you're asking me to break his contract'' He walked closer to her, staring at her with piercing eyes.

She lowered her eyes and pretended to be reading the papers. Lancelot wasn't going to let this go.

''Listen, I value the lad; he's a skilled, well-trained soldier that did not fail a single mission when he was working for me. If you want him you're gonna have to give me a pretty good reason for me to let him go''

Roxy drew a long breath through her nose and looked at her godfather ''I _do_ , okay? I do love him''

Lancelot raised his eyebrows in surprise. He already knew what she'd just told him, but he was surprised she had the gall to admit it. Roxy was an immensely proud person, just like her father, but perhaps she was starting to mature a little.

Lancelot grinned, emptying the glass in his hand with one gulp and placing it on the coffee table ''All right then. You can have the boy''

Roxy looked at him from the couch, slightly apprehensively ''Really? Just...like that?''

''Yes, _just like that_. After all, I'm getting our company saved in return. The kid ain't worth that much''

 _He's worth much more than that_ , she thought to herself. Roxy grabbed the blue pen on the coffee table and signed the contract. Et voilà; Roxanne Morton was now officially head of Cronos Corporation.

\-------------------------------------

Eggsy discreetely gazed at his watch as he sat in a meeting with other bodyguards, wondering what time Roxy would be home from the office. They were currently in one of the big office rooms of the Morton mansion, and Eggsy was lecturing the new bodyguards about the house's security system. Two bodyguards had been critically wounded during the shooting, so Eggsy had been quickly promoted to senior bodyguard. He wasn't sure how he felt about all the responsibilities suddenly placed on him; it all seemed too much too quick, but he had risen to the challenge, determined no to let Roxy down.

The past three weeks had been devoted to hiring new staff, updating the security system, and training the new bodyguards. Eggsy had barely had time to catch a break, and neither had anyone else around the house. It was as if the mansion had gone into shock after its master had been shot, and everyone was busy trying to do damage control.  Angela Morton had barely set a foot in the mansion in the past three weeks. She'd been upstairs at sleep when her husband had been shot in his office. She'd found him bleeding and unconscious, and she'd been the one to alert emergency services. Two bodyguards had later been found in the yard, wounded but luckily not dead. After the incident Mrs. Morton had avoided the house, the memories from that night still too fresh in her mind. Therefore, Roxy had suddenly become both the head of the company _and_ of the Morton household. Eggsy and other staff members were doing their best to help her out. George himself had offered to supervise the kitchen and the gardening, even though those were not listed in his duties as a senior bodyguard. Eggsy appreciated the change in the older man; he hadn't given Eggsy even one dirty look since Percival had been shot. It was obvious he felt guilty, having been unable to protect his employer, so now he was doing everything he could to make up for it.

After finishing the lecture, Eggsy dismissed the men and made his way towards the living-room. To his surprise, he found Lancelot sitting there by the fireplace, as always with a glass of scotch in his hand. Eggsy hadn't seen him around the house in weeks. He'd assumed Lancelot would be at his casino, continuing to live the bachelor life while the rest of them had to deal with the shit he'd helped to cook.

''Care for a drink?'' Lancelot grinned and pointed towards the liquor cabinet.

Eggsy looked at him neutrally, almost coldly ''Don't you have anything to do?'' He wasn't afraid of his former employer anymore, not even a little bit wary.

Lancelot's smile widened ''My, that promotion has really made you bold. I like that''

Eggsy ignored him and sat on one of the leather sofas, loosening his tie. He'd started wearing a suit when he was on duty; it seemed more professional. The other bodyguards had done the same.

Lancelot's expression turned serious ''I haven't just been sitting on my arse these past three weeks, if that's what you're thinking''

''Might as well; got Roxy running the company for you''

Lancelot chuckled ''You cheeky little bastard'' He wasn't mad though, he found the young man's attitude greatly amusing. He reached into his pocket to fish out a small, metallic object. He held it in the air for a moment, scrutinizing it before throwing it at Eggsy.

Eggsy raised a quick hand to grab the flying object.

''Nice to see your reflexes still work'' Lancelot took a long gulp from his glass.

''What the fuck is this?'' Eggsy stared at the small, metallic plate in his hand, about the size of a peanut.

''That, my lad, is a mercury chip''

''And what the fuck is that?''

''It's a _deactivator_. It can be used to turn off electronic devices''

Eggsy continued staring at him, dumbfoundedly.

Lancelot got up from his chair, slowly walking towards the window ''It was found inside one of the remotes of the mansion's alarm system''

Eggy's eyes widened slightly ''What..?''

Lancelot mindlessly stared out the window, continuing with his explanation ''When we retrieved Roxy's car after your little nightly escapade, the remote you guys took was still in the back seat'' He paused to take a sip from his glass ''Apparently, the people that came after you _did_ get their hands on the remote, except they didn't take it with them. They placed the mercury chip inside of it and left it in the back seat, hoping that we'd retrieve the car and place the remote back in the house...which we did.'' He turned around to look musingly at the fireplace ''When the right time came, the mercury chip was activated from the outside, rendering the whole alarm system useless, thus allowing the thugs to get in and shoot Percival''

Eggsy stared at Lancelot in horror. His body had suddenly gone cold, all the blood draining from his face. It was all his fault. If he hadn't broken the rules and taken Roxy to that stupid rave none of this would have happened. He himself had gone and placed the remote back in Mr. Morton's office desk, not once thinking about inspecting it first.

Eggsy got up from his chair ''I...we have to tell Roxy''

''We don't have to tell Roxy anything'' Lancelot calmly made his way towards the fireplace.

The young man stared at him with knitted eyebrows, looking lost and confused.

''We are going to sort this mess out ourselves; there is no need to tell Roxy about this, she already has enough on her plate. Also, you don't want to risk her hating you, do you?''

The slight hint of manipulation made Eggsy jump ''The fuck you know what I want!?'' Red anger took over his pale face ''Maybe she deserves to know what really happened'' Eggsy was tired of all the lies and secrets; look what they'd done to Percival Morton.

They turned their head when they heard the front door opening, heavy footsteps hitting the hard marble floor; the young lady of the house was home.

They walked into the lobby to greet her. No matter how tired Roxy was when she came home, she always had a smile for Eggsy. Suddenly he didn't feel worthy of that smile anymore, though.

Roxy kissed her godfather's cheek and she turned to look at Eggsy.

''What's the matter, Eggsy? You look sick'' She looked at him worriedly, bringing up a hand to stroke his cheeks. The hand burned against his face, his skin dying to feel her touch. But Eggsy couldn't bring himself to say anything.

Lancelot answered for him ''He's been working hard all day; you've got a dedicated member of staff here Roxanne''

Roxy looked at the young man skeptically ''Please don't overwork yourself, Eggsy. Learn to delegate''

He smiled awkwardly ''Yeah, you're right. I think we both need to learn that''

Roxy sighed, kicking off her shoes and letting Lancelot take her coat ''Oh, I will, once I figure out how everything works. You know I'm a control freak'' She said, grinning at him.

Lancelot placed the coat in the rack and turned to face her ''Roxanne, I need to borrow Eggsy next week; I'm meeting with a mediator that is going to put us in contact with the Americans''

Roxy tried to contain her emotions. She knew Lancelot had tried to get in contact with the mob and come up with a diplomatic solution. She wasn't entirely happy with that ''So you're going to set up a meeting with them and then what? _Negotiate_?

''I just want to know what they want''

''We _know_ what they want; they want my father dead''

''Do you have a better idea?''

Roxy sighed. She didn't ''Eggsy, this is dangerous. You don't have to go''

Eggsy looked at her confidently ''I'm going. I'll do anything to help put and end to this''

Roxy smiled, moving closer to plant a kiss on his cheek, whispering in his ear '' _That's exactly what scares me_ ''.

With exhausted steps she began to walk up the marble stairs, leaving Eggsy and Lancelot behind in the lobby.

Lancelot turned to look at Eggsy ''My driver will be here on Monday at 9am. Be ready'' He grabbed his coat from the rack and walked to the door ''Oh, and bring your gun. Just in case, you know'' He winked and closed the door behind him. Eggsy was left standing alone in the lobby, a million thoughts running through his head.

 

 


	15. Crossroads

The mediator was a short, salt-and-pepper haired Hungarian man in his 50's. Eggsy thought he looked as threatening as a crab with a tooth-pick, so he wasn't sure why Lancelot had asked him to bring his gun. In any case, they had no idea what they were up against, so it was best to take precautions.

They met with the Hungarian man at Lancelot's office at The Vatican, and after an hour-long conversation he was convinced enough about their good intentions that he agreed to set up a meeting with one of the representatives of the mob. Lancelot and Eggsy were told to come alone, and to bring no weapons. _So much for precautions_ , Eggsy thought.

After the meeting, they escorted the man to the lobby, and he promised to contact them as soon as the meeting and the location had been decided. Lancelot seemed confident, believing that meeting with the mob face-to-face would certainly help clear out this mess. He had always relied heavily on his charm and smooth-talking skills to get what he wanted, and it usually worked. Eggsy was convinced that James Lancelot could bargain with death itself and win. However, he suspected they would need much more than just talking to get out of this mess.

\------------------------------

''Eggsy, seriously, you don't have to go'' Roxy looked at him worriedly from his bedroom door. She had dark circles under her eyes, product of yet another late night at the office. It broke Eggsy's heart to see her like that.

''We've been through this, Rox; it's fine. I'll be all right'' He finished zipping up his hoodie in front of the mirror. He'd decide to dress up more casually for the meeting with the mob.

After staring at him for a moment Roxy let out a small sigh and turned around to leave. His voice stopped her in her tracks.

''Wait...''

She turned around to look at him with sad eyes. They stared at each other for a minute, not knowing what to say. Eggsy felt like there was a whole ocean between them. This whole mess had changed both of them. They'd suddenly been forced to become adults, and in only three weeks they had already been weighted down by the crushing burden of the responsibilities thrust upon them. He could not remember the last time he'd seen Roxy laugh or make a witty remark like she used to. He himself hadn't visited his family in weeks, barely managing to squeeze in a hurried phone call every now and then. Michelle was starting to get seriously worried despite her son's reassurances; she could feel how tense and stressed Eggsy was every time he called.

He looked at her, desperation in his eyes ''I miss you, Rox...I...'' He paused to collect his thoughts, his eyes briefly falling on her lips. They still hadn't talked about their night together. Eggsy had tried to discreetly bring it up a couple of times during those rare moments they had time to share a glass of scotch in the living room downstairs. But Roxy had brushed them off, quickly changing the subject. Eggsy didn't know what to think anymore. He understood this was a difficult time for Roxy, with her dad still in a coma and the chaos at the office. He didn't want to seem selfish, but he felt like he was gonna die if he didn't get to hold her soon again. It scared him shitless that Roxy might have changed her mind, that she didn't want him anymore. Eggsy could not keep living with this uncertainty.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head ''I feel like you are miles away and I just... I wish you would let me back in'' He avoided her eyes, worrying he might see rejection in them ''I mean, if you still want m-''

He felt his back hit the wall with a small thud, her lips capturing his mouth in a passionate kiss.

They made out for a moment before Roxy pulled away to look him in the eye, cupping his face with his hands ''I never meant to push you out, Eggsy. I'm right here.''

\------------------------------

Roxy's eyes had widened as she'd watched the ever-so-confident boy hesitate and struggle to find the words. She had spent the past few weeks in a stupor, too exhausted and distraught to pay much attention to anything except her father's business. As she'd watched the sad look on Eggsy's face and the words accompanying it, she could feel her heart break a bit.

She still wanted him. Of course she did. Nothing had changed, and she made sure to tell him that. 

It was true Roxy had avoided talking about their night together. She'd felt too distressed with everything going on, but more importantly, she'd felt guilty about having Eggsy deal with the mess her family had cooked. Perhaps she had quietly wished he had walked away. Perhaps she _had_ tried to push him away, hoping he'd leave, save himself. It would have broken Roxy's heart, but she wouldn't have blamed him for it. She would never forgive herself if anything happened to Eggsy. But for better or for worse, the boy was hard headed and already had his mind set. Roxy was immensely grateful for that, but she wished there was another way.

She hugged the boy tight before he rushed to the meeting, promising him they would soon have that talk, and more...

\------------------------------

The meeting took place in the back of a small Italian restaurant in Hatfield. Eggsy and Lancelot were seated on a gray couch, drinking tea and waiting under the watchful eye of three burly men. _Definitely ex-military, probably marines_ , Eggsy though in his mind.

''These Americans make terrible tea'' 

Eggsy heard Lancelot mutter under his breath, wincing at his cup. They mindlessly stared at the weather channel on the small tv in the corner of the room, until they heard the door open behind them.

As it turned out, the representative of the mob was a brunette man in his early 40's with a surprisingly pleasant face and calm demeanor. He didn't exactly resemble the stereotypical American gangster Eggsy had imagined in his head.

''Gentlemen!'' The man exclaimed, extending his hand to greet them ''So glad you could make it''

Eggsy couldn't help thinking the guy resembled a waxy ken-doll. People that smiled that much seemed suspicious to him.

\-------------------------------------- 

Eggsy stayed quiet for most of the conversation, letting Lancelot do the talking. And boy did the man talk. The American listened politely, occasionally 'hm'-ing and nodding his head. Lancelot was offering him substantial amounts of money and assets in compensation for any damages the company had caused.

After a while, the man interrupted Lancelot, gently putting down his tea cup on the coffee table between them ''That is all very generous, Mr. Lancelot. But your company has already made us such offers in the past and we have declined. I believe you already know what kind of compensation we are after...''

Eggsy frowned as he watched Lancelot's face turn pale and his expression grave. He cleared his throat before speaking again ''Yes, but I'm afraid we cannot meet that condition''

''I see'' The man buttoned his dark-blue blazer, ready to get up and end the meeting ''In that case we ourselves will get rid of Mr. Morton''

Eggsy's eyes widened. He hadn't been told about this little detail. He felt blood rush to his head, lashing out ''What the fuck? You assholes are bein' offered millions but instead you want one guy killed?'' His face was red with rage, and Lancelot worried he might have to hold the boy back; _Eggsy calm the fuck down_ , he whispered.

The American didn't seem fazed one bit by the boy's reaction. His calm demeanor stayed in place, immaculate, and he waited for Eggsy to calm down before talking ''Mr. Unwin, let me explain to you our situation here''

The man leaned closer to the coffee table to pour himself more tea ''We trusted Cronos Co. with a hefty share of our funds for them to invest in various _honorable_ and _legal_ ventures'' He made vague gestures with his hand to emphasize the words ''Mr. Morton and his partners are shrew businessmen, and soon our funds had doubled. After some time, we tried to take out some of that money to invest in a little project of our own with our Colombian friends in Bogotá...but we were denied access to our money, even though legally we were entitled to access our account at any time. We contacted Cronos Co. multiple times, but were told that they could not find our account in their system. By the time they corrected the error and we were allowed to access our funds, it was too late, and we had lost a ten billion dollar deal.

The man calmly turned his head to look at Eggsy like a schoolteacher at his pupil ''Now, Mr. Unwin, do you know what ten billion dollars look like?''

Eggsy had calmed down, and was slightly taken aback by the question, not sure how to answer ''Um...no, I don't''

''Well let me tell you then; ten billion dollars look like a hefty amount of political power and influence. It looks like funding guerrillas on five different continents and decades-long overseas warfare. It looks like seizing the power over a medium-sized country and draining it of all its resources. It looks like the wages of thousands of our associates around the world, all very powerful and very _pissed_ that they missed out on such a great deal.''

Roxy had talked with Eggsy about the mafia's money. She'd read through the reports of the deal, and for some unknown reason the Americans had not been able to withdraw their money until 5 days after having first requested it. The money was there, but the account had been temporarily locked by someone. Roxy had tried to dig into it, but had found no answers. Some company accountants suspected a series of human and computer errors might have taken place, but they still found the whole situation suspicious. Something like that was not supposed to happen. In any case, the company had agreed to pay substantial compensations, but the mafia had declined.

Eggsy snapped again, angrily ''What the fuck do you muppets gain killing Mr. Morton?! You've been offered a shit ton of money, just take it and go make another deal somewhere''

The man looked at Eggsy like a patient parent whose child is throwing a tantrum ''Young man, this is not about money anymore. We are risking the trust and respect of some of our closest allies. We need a scapegoat, that's all''

Eggsy grimaced ''So that's what Mr. Morton is: a scapegoat you're gonna sacrifice to retain the respect of your posh mates?'' He couldn't handle the patronizing look on the guys face anymore and he was dying to deck him in the nose.

The calmly man got up to leave, this time for good ''I'm feeling generous this afternoon, so I'm going to give you ten days to... _dispose_ of Mr. Morton on your own. If that doesn't happen, we'll get him ourselves. But I warn you; our people can be pretty messy, so it would probably be kinder if you did the dirty job yourselves. He'll look nicer in the casket''

Before he exited the small room, he turned around one more time to look at Eggsy ''If you're ever looking for a job, kid, come to New York. We could definitely use some of that rage'' The man grinned, closing the door. Eggsy had never wanted to kill someone so badly in his entire life.

\--------------------------------------

They quietly drove back to the Morton's in Lancelot's hybrid. By the time they arrived, Eggsy could barely contain his anger. After shutting the living-room door he turned to look at Lancelot, who had already slumped down into one of the leather armchairs.

''What the fuck did you do?''

Lancelot stared at him confused.

Eggsy sat down on the couch in front of him, staring him down ''You looked guilty as hell when that geezer was talking about his failed drug deal. What did you do? Don't bullshit me, this is serious'' His icy tone could have cut through steel.

Lancelot sighed, sinking deeper into his armchair. He stared pensively into the distance before speaking ''I had this friend who worked for the Interpol. He was a very good friend, we knew each other from our time in the military. I owed him quite a few favors; he knew about our company's activities, and he'd helped us multiple times to avoid investigations by the Secret Intelligence Service.'' He paused for a moment, lowering his gaze ''He heard the Americans wanted to make a big investment in the Colombian cocaine trail, and I agreed to withhold the mafia's funds for a few days so the Interpol could arrest the leading narcos in Bogotá before the deal took place''.

Eggsy frowned ''This guy, he pressured you to do that?''

Lancelot looked at him, a sad smile on his face ''No. He asked me, as a friend. And I said yes''

''Are you taking a fucking piss?'' Eggsy could not believe the shit he was hearing ''You fuck with a mafia's money and put everyone around you in danger because your mate asks you to?''

''As an exchange, he was supposed to organize mass arrests among the top leaders of the mafia, using the evidence gathered during their history with our company. The members of the lower branches of the mob would have been forced to go underground. There would have been no blow back for us ''

Eggsy was starting to lose his patience ''Yeah that sounds like a plan but where the fuck is your buddy now and why isn't he helping us sort out this mess?''

''He was shot during the arrests in Bogotá. And the Interpol can't help us because no one else in his department knew we had a deal. If we tell them about it now we risk being exposed for corruption and financial crimes. We don't have anyone in that department to protect us anymore''

Eggsy sighed deeply, leaning back into the couch. This was a deep fucking mess.


	16. Breaking point

It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon and Roxy was driving back to the mansion. It was a rare occurrence, since these days she rarely left the office before 9pm. But today she had decided it was time to take a little break. Things were starting to go more smoothly at the office as she was getting the hang of things. She'd now secured their most important investors, who'd initially considered withdrawing their funds after the young head of the company had been elected. But with her sharp mind and persuasion skills (as well as Lancelot's influence), Roxy had managed to make them reconsider.

Something else had happened too: two days ago her father had opened his eyes for the first time after four weeks in a coma. As soon as she'd heard the news, Roxy had rushed to his side. Percival Morton was indeed awake, but not too responsive. He kept drifting in and out of sleep, and didn't say much. It was true Roxy had felt great relief when she'd seen her father lying awake on the hospital bed, being spoon-fed by her mum. But a slight disappointment had also crept in; she'd assumed once her father woke up, he'd immediately be his old self, up and about. Instead, he seemed lost and confused. His movements were slow and clumsy, so uncharacteristic of Percival Morton. The doctors tried to reassure them, asserting it was all perfectly normal given that the man had just spent a month in a coma. On a more cautious note, they also added that it was too soon to determine if there was permanent brain damage. In any case, Mr. Morton would need extensive physical therapy to fully recover.

Roxy had gone to see her father again that morning. She hadn't stayed longer than half an hour though, given that he was asleep. As she'd picked up her purse and gotten up to leave, her mother had given her yet another disapproving look, but hadn't said anything. She probably expected Roxy to stay at the foot of his bed day and night like she did, playing the proper martyr. But Roxy already had too many things going on, like running a whole company and a house, as well as managing her personal life. She'd decided that afternoon she would finally sit down with Eggsy and have the _talk_.

It was almost 1 pm when Roxy drove into the mansion's patio, and the first thing she heard as she got out of her car was a loud, dry cough in the distance. Frowning, she opened her black umbrella and went towards the sound. She found Eggsy tinkering with one of her dad's rovers. The car hood was flipped and he was examining the motor with a flashlight.

''Eggsy? What are you doing?''

He looked up in surprise ''Rox? You back already?''

Roxy noticed he had a bit of motor oil on his cheek and nose ''It's raining, Eggsy. You shouldn't be out here like this'' Something didn't look right. Eggsy was pale and there was a feverish glint in his eyes.

''Nah I'm just 'bout to finish; George said there was something wrong with the engine but I think the battery is the issu-'' Another bout of cough interrupted his speech, making him double over.

Roxy frowned. Eggsy was wearing only a light hoodie, which was starting to get soaked. She rolled her eyes and proceeded to close the hood of the car, almost squashing Eggsy's fingers in the process.

''Hey!'' He protested, but Roxy was already grabbing him by the arm and dragging him towards the house.

She knew how hard Eggsy had been working for the past month, barely caching a break. No wonder his body was finally reacting by getting sick.

''Rox, c'mon, I just need to find a jumper cable and...''

She ignored his words as they entered the mansion, proceeding instead to strip him of his hoodie.

''Whoa, Rox, go easy on me'' He grinned, giving her that devilish look she'd become more than familiar with. Though this time his glassy, fevered eyes didn't evoke as much passion as they did pity.

She ignored his attempt at a seductive look and instead told him to take off his shoes and go to his room; she'd be there in a minute. Eggsy tried to protest yet again, insisting he was fine and he had a million things to do anyway.

''Eggsy, you're _sick_. Look at yourself, you're coughing your lungs out and you clearly have a temperature''.

''C'mon, Rox, it's just a lil' cough. I need to go give the other bodyguards the orders for today'' Eggsy tried to control his light wheezing as he spoke. It was as if someone had shoved sandpaper down his throat. He felt a bit woozy too, but wasn't about to admit it. He hadn't been feeling too good lately. The past week had been particularly hectic; not only with managing the house's security, but also trying to come up with a way to get the mob off their backs. He and Lancelot had tried to gather intel on the Americans, with Eggsy going undercover to some of the bars and clubs that they managed. The whole thing had been less than fruitful, and seven days after the meeting, they were back at square one. Only three more days to figure out how to _not_ have the mob put another bullet through Percival Morton's head...Eggsy couldn't get sick. No, not now. He would soldier through it, like always.

''Rox, listen, I just-'' Another bout of cough left him wheezing.

Having had enough of his protests, Roxy proceeded to push Eggsy up the stairs herself, with him still trying to negotiate. She just sighed and rolled her eyes; _men_.

\--------------------

She managed to get him to change into a dry t-shirt and sweatpants, and after a little more convincing she got him to slip under the covers of his bed, 'just for a bit'. He still wouldn't shut up about the list of things he had to do for the day.

''Also, I was supposed to call Lancelot and...'' He stopped mid-sentence ''Uh, never mind, it wasn't important''

Roxy raised a curious eyebrow as she adjusted the ear thermometer, but didn't say anything. She had been told what had happened at the meeting with the mob, but she knew Lancelot and Eggsy were sparing her some details. It frustrated her, but she didn't want to press the issue. She wanted to trust her godfather in handling this.

She looked at the thermometer in her hand; 39,6 Celsius; higher than she had thought.

''Eggsy, you're going to have to stay in bed for at least a couple of days''

She saw a flash of panic in his face ''Wha- No, Rox! I...I mean, there's so much to do around here and-''

''Eggsy, you can _delegate_. We have hired a bunch of new bodyguards. You can have them take over for a bit. I'll tell George to handle them'' Her tone was firm as she put the thermometer in the nightstand by the bed. She discreetly looked at him from the corner of her eye: there were tiny beads of sweat forming on his face. Other than his flushed cheeks, he was completely pale. She'd noticed his wheezing despite him trying to hide it. If the fever didn't start to go down soon she would call a doctor.

She readjusted the pillow under his head, with Eggsy searching for her eyes with his fevered gaze. He reached up to caress her arm ''C'mon Rox, I'm fine, just give me some aspirin an I'll be good to go''

She only gave him a worried look in return, turning to fold the discarded hoodie lying on the floor.

He propped himself up on his arm, barely able to steady himself ''I'm sorry Rox I-''

'' _Don't_ be, Eggsy. There's nothing to be sorry about'' She looked at him sympathetically ''I just want you to rest and get better. You've been working so hard...'' The boy's anxious puppy face almost broke her heart, and she leaned down to kiss him on the lips, not caring about catching his illness.

Eggsy responded eagerly, his lightheadedness only increasing. He made a disappointed sound when she broke the kiss.

He looked up at her hopefully, dark circles already forming under his eyes ''Maybe you could stay here for a bit, yeah?''

Roxy found it hard to say no to those eyes, so she smiled and sat on the bed beside him. Eggsy's moved his head to rest it on her lap, and she ran her fingers through his hair, slightly damp from both the rain and the feverish sweat. His head felt warm against her lap, and she hoped his temperature wouldn't go up.

She felt the boy relax under her fingers. Eggsy was now humming pleasantly, his eyes half closed as she gently caressed his head. He seemed to be half-asleep, occasionally mumbling incoherently.

Suddenly, she heard music coming from Eggsy's discarded trousers, now lying in a corner of the bedroom.

''Eggsy, your cellphone is ringing'' She whispered. Eggsy kept his eyes closed, now snoring lightly.

Roxy hesitated for a moment, but decided to go get the phone, after all, it might be someone important. She gently removed Eggsy's head from her lap and got out of the bed. He didn't seem to notice, carrying on with his peaceful slumber.

Roxy fished the phone out of the trouser's front pocket and looked at the flashing screen: _Unknown caller._

She frowned for a second and pressed the green button, ''Hello?''

The line was quiet for a moment, and then a raspy man's voice filled it ''Is this Mr. Unwin's phone?''

''Yes, it is. I'm Roxanne Morton, his employer. I'm afraid Mr. Unwin can't take calls right now. Would you like to leave a message?'' She noticed the man spoke with a slight accent, but she couldn't quite identify it.

''Ah, Miss Morton...I'm Viktor Miklossy, the mediator. I assume you're aware of the situation at hand. I was simply calling to remind Mr. Unwin that you only have three days left to... _dispose_ of Mr. Morton. I shall visit you personally to make sure you have honored your part of the deal''.

And with that, the line went dead, leaving Roxy to stare in horror at the phone in her hand.

She slowly turned her head to look at the peacefully sleeping boy, his head buried in a pillow. Slowly, doing her best to control her emotions, she walked to his side.

''Eggsy...wake up'' She gently shook him until he cracked one bloodshot eye half-open. His gaze was glassy and unfocused, the fever clearly gone up.

He let out a small growl, clearly not pleased about being woken up.

''Eggsy, I know you're sick, but I need to talk to you about something very, very important''

 ------------------------

Roxy was almost surprised at the ease with which Eggsy ended up telling her everything. His high fever no doubt played an important part in it. Even though his speech was a slightly incoherent mess, Roxy was able to more or less piece together what had happened; Lancelot had indeed told the mafia they'd get rid of Mr. Morton, but it was only an attempt to buy them more time. This past week they'd tried to gather information about the mafia, find some weak spot, some _leverage_ they could use, but nothing. He even ended up telling her about the mercury chip.

The revelations made Roxy feel nauseous, and for a moment she could feel panic starting to take over. She got up to pace back-and-forth around the room, like she always did when anxious. She stopped in front of the bedroom mirror and made herself take a deep breath. Now was not the time to break down. Now was time to _think_.

She made Eggsy take some paracetamol before letting him fall asleep again. She looked at his phone, now lying on the night stand. The next logical step would be to call Lancelot and ask for clarifications, try to work together to find a solution. But Roxy didn't trust him anymore. In fact, the sole idea of seeing him right now filled her with hot rage. One more lie and she might actually kill the man.

Roxy sighed. What to do? She wanted to sit down with the Hungarian man, maybe try to arrange another meeting with the mob, something, anything! But he had called from an unknown number and she could not call him back. With mixed emotions she turned to look at the sleeping Eggsy. _Boy are we gonna have a lot to talk about when we finally sit down_.

She suddenly saw Eggsy's phone screen light up again. She quickly reached for it, thinking it was the Hungarian man. However, this time a different word was flashing on the screen:

_Mum_

\------------------------

Michelle arrived at the mansion in less than an hour, little Daisy in her arms. Roxy had sent one of the new bodyguard to pick her up. Apparently, she hadn't heard from Eggsy in weeks (again) and was starting to worry herself sick. She knew how busy her son was, but he always tried to at least send her a quick text. After hearing Eggsy was sick and staying at Roxy's house, she'd insisted she'd come visit. Roxy didn't need to be convinced; she felt bad for poor Michelle not being able to have contact with her son. After all, her own family's mess was at fault for keeping them so busy lately.

Though Michelle was visibly upset as she stepped into the mansion, she could not help to glance around in admiration. She knew Roxy had an affluent background, but this level of luxury wasn't exactly what she had expected. After a few quick glances she immediately moved her worried eyes back to Roxy.

''How is he?''

''He's okay, he's sleeping upstairs. The doctor left just now. He has a very bad cold and suffers from exhaustion'' They began to climb the marble stairs ''He just needs to rest for a while''

''You said he now lives here? That he's a bodyguard...?''

''Yes, my father decided to promote him. He thought his military training would go to waste working as a club bouncer'' Roxy felt bad about lying to Michelle, but she thought Eggsy should be the one to tell her the truth, whatever version of it. She shook her head at herself, _What a big bunch of liars we are_.

MIchelle sighed ''I've been calling him all week, I'm glad _someone_ finally answered''

''I know, I'm sorry. It's not his fault. My father is currently... _not well_ , so the whole house is in a bit of a shock and everyone is working double shift''.

Michelle looked at the younger woman emphatically ''Oh, I'm sorry to hear that; is he going to be okay?'' She felt tempted to ask about what was ailing Roxy's father, but something told her to let it be.

Roxy hesitated ''Yes...he's going to be okay.''

They stepped into the room and Roxy took Daisy in her arms. Michelle quickly walked to Eggsy's side and pressed her hand against his forehead.

''He's burning up'' She whispered.

''Yes, he still has a high fever. The doctor said it should start to go down soon. If not, we'll go to the hospital''

Michelle nodded quietly and caressed her sleeping son's head.

''You know, I hadn't seen him like this in years...he rarely gets sick''

Roxy nodded ''He's been working really hard, can't seem to slow down''

Michelle shook her head affectionately ''Stubborn little brat. His father was just like that''

Roxy smiled. She'd love to ask Michelle what Eggsy's dad was like, love to learn more about his family. But she had to figure out how to deal with the mob first. She decided she would swallow her pride and go see Lancelot, even though she could feel in her gut it would be a fruitless excursion that would no doubt end in a screaming match.

Roxy put Daisy down on the mattress at the foot of the bed. She would ask a maid to go search for some of her old toys the little one could play with. Before exiting the room, Roxy looked at Eggsy's phone on the night stand ''Michelle, I have to go out for a couple of hours. If someone calls Eggsy's phone, could you please answer it? And if it's a certain Mr. Miklossy, please give him my number and tell him to call me immediately. It is _very_ important.''

Michelle raised her eyebrows in surprise ''Miklossy? As in Viktor Miklossy?''

Roxy frowned ''You know him?''

''Short, stout Hungarian man, right? I worked for him as a cleaning lady for some time. Are you friends with him?''

Roxy sat down on a chair by the bed, giving Michelle a serious look ''Michelle, I need you to please tell me everything you know about this man''


	17. Dreaming of you

Eggsy spent the next few days in a semi-catatonic state. His fever had gone down after the first nigh, but persisted nonetheless. Luckily, the doctor didn't deem his condition serious enough as to require hospitalization, and he was thus left in the gentle care of Roxy, Michelle, and a handful of housemaids. Roxy had additionally hired a round-the-clock nurse to watch over him, just in case. Michelle came to visit frequently, and even spent a couple of nights at the mansion together with Daisy. Despite her initial worry, she now felt confident that Eggsy was in good hands. It warmed her heart to see how much Roxy cared about her son. Who knew, maybe something might come out of it after all...

In his fevered state, Eggsy had lucid dreams. Some of them were horrible nightmares in which Mr. Morton or Roxy got shot. He would toss and turn in his sleep, sometimes letting out small whimpers and waking up in a cold sweat. Luckily, there was always a hand nearby to stroke his hair and soothe him. Roxy would come to see him as often as she could, sometimes laying next to him and falling asleep herself. She would softly whisper in his ear, trying to, perhaps, lure him back into the world of the living.

Not all of Eggsy's dreams were nightmares, not at all. In fact, he had quite a few pleasant ones, most of them involving Roxy...

In quite a few of them he more or less relived the amazing night he had spent with Roxy on the top floor of The Vatican. This explicit dream came in all sorts of variations: sometimes they did it on the couch, sometimes on the pool table, or even in the elevator. One time the setting was actually Eggsy's own room back at home. It went more or less like this:

In this version of the dream, Roxy has told Eggsy she's a virgin before they have sex. They arrive at his house and no one else is there, so they quickly sneak into his room. They kiss passionately, stripping each other off their clothes. He gently lays Roxy down on his bed; she's only wearing frilly purple lingerie, which is driving him crazy. Her cheeks are flushed and she's panting lightly. She's giving him bedroom eyes, biting her lower lip. Eggsy can feel blood leaving his head and rushing to his groin, but he nonetheless controls himself. He starts kissing her neck, slowly moving south. He dips his teasing tongue in her navel, making Roxy shiver. He smiles wolfishly against her tummy, and starts to nibble at the sensitive skin of her hip. She squirms and lets out little moans, tangling her fingers in his hair. He reaches the inside of her thighs, laying a gentle trail of kisses all over them. By the time he has discarded her knickers and his head is buried between her thighs, Roxy is crying out his name and clawing at his back. Eggsy finds her taste intoxicating, and he doesn't lift his head until he's made her come twice. When he finally looks at her, she's begging him to get inside her, and he's happy to comply. Eggsy goes in slowly, making eye-contact to make sure he's not hurting her. She looks at him with her deep emerald eyes, her soft moans driving him crazy; Eggsy has never wanted anyone so badly. An ''I love you'' escapes his lips, something he hasn't said to Roxy in real life yet. In the world of dreams everything seems easier; there is no weirdness or tension there. Everything is perfect.

Dream-Roxy gives him an ''I love you too'' and pulls his body closer. The dream finishes as they lay on top of each other, panting and satisfied.

\-------------------------------

Every now and then Eggsy would wake up from his feverish slumber and hear distant voices whispering. There were sometimes people in his room, he could sense that even if his brain-fog prevented him from paying too much attention to the conversations being carried out.

_''I feel so bad for them...''_

_''Yes, it seems...the funeral is tomorrow.''_

_''....will come over later and...also Mr. Lancelot...''_

Eggsy had a hard time telling whether he was awake or asleep. He would pay little mind to whatever he heard being said and drifted back to sleep.

\--------------------------------

One gray afternoon Eggsy's condition finally started to improve. He was now more or less conscious and aware of his surroundings. The fever had gone down significantly, clearing his head. He could now think straight, which turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing.

He sat up on the bed, his head spinning lightly. He stared at the wall in front of him, eyes wide as he'd just started to realize what he'd done.

It hadn't been a dream; he really had told Roxy about the mob's plans and the mercury chip. Eggsy took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. What day was it? Oh god no, how long had he been asleep? He grabbed his phone from the nightstand to check the date but it had run out of battery.

Suddenly, one of the maids, a middle-aged woman named Emma, entered the room to check on him.

''Mr. Unwin, you're awake! How are you feeling today?'' She asked in a chirpy voice.

''Wha...What day is it?'' His throat still hurt as he tried to speak.

''It's Tuesday, dear'' She started to look for the ear thermometer in the nightstand ''I'm going to bring you some breakfast in a minute''

''Tue...Of what week? How long have I been here?''

''Since last week's Tuesday. You've been sick for seven days''

His blood froze in his veins ''Seven days...''

Eggsy looked around. He sensed something strange in the atmosphere of the house, something that wasn't there before. He suddenly remembered all those bits and pieces from the conversations he'd heard while sick. He noticed Emma's slightly apathetic demeanor. A chill ran down his spine. Eggsy scrutinize the woman, searching for answers, but she avoided his eyes, still looking for the thermometer.

Eggsy spoke calmly, controlling the panic in his voice ''Emma...where is Mr. Morton?''


	18. The truth in your eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all so much for your patience! School was super hectic with all the finals and then Christmas festivities kept me busy so only now did I finally have time to finish this chapter. There are about two chapters left, so let's see if I can wrap this thing up in a way it makes sense ;)

She kept silent, still avoiding his eyes.

Eggsy tried his best to push aside the horror and shock invading his mind and proceeded to hurriedly get out of the bed, almost falling over.

Emma grabbed his shoulder at the last moment, giving him a concerned look ''Mr. Unwin where do you think you're going? You've just woken up after being nearly catatonic for seven days!''

''Emma, listen...'' He could feel his head spinning ''I have to go find Ms. Morton and-''

''You need to eat and get well, Mr. Unwin. _Then_ you can do whatever you want'' With a stern look on her face she helped him get back in bed. Before he could protest, another maid came in with a tray of chicken broth and some biscuits. The two women proceeded to chatter eagerly about how well Mr. Unwin looked today, the colour already returning to his cheeks.

Eggsy knew they were hiding something from him and he feared the worst, but he kept silent. He would have to find out on his own what had happened in the past week. If only he could call Lancelot, but his phone was dead...And what about his mom? And Daisy? Had they been here to see him? Were they worried? He'd dreamed about them; he remembered his mom's hand stroking his hair and Daisy's distant giggling...

He gulped a couple of spoonfuls of soup under the maids' watchful eyes, and after he'd promised he'd take it easy and get some sleep, the two women left him alone. They closed the door behind them and Eggsy listened as the voices in the corridor died down. He carefully slipped out of bed, his feet more steady this time after having eaten a bit. He traded his pajamas for a white tee and gray sweatpants, and silently wandered into the corridor.

\-------------------

It was 6 pm when Roxy's Audi rolled into the patio of the Mansion. She closed the car door behind her with a heavy sigh and made her way towards the front door of her home. She'd been rocking the whole business executive-look for a while now; her navy-blue blazer and black leather briefcase made her look like some preppy London business school graduate. The horror.

Once inside she threw her coat onto the rack, kicked her shoes off, and slowly wandered towards the living room. There was nothing but worry on her mind these days; about the company, about her mom, about her employees...about Eggsy...Roxy needed a drink and she could already feel his father's dalmore whiskey burning on her tongue and soothing her heavy heart. She really missed him.

Roxy held back a sniffle and straightened her shoulders as she proceeded to enter the living room. Now was not the time to have a meltdown, there was too much left to do.

Her surprise was indeed great when she opened the door and saw a very serious-looking Eggsy sitting on one of the armchairs by the fireplace, with mussed hair and dark circles under his eyes, looking like a rugged Calvin Klein model. The bastard.

They stared at each other intensely for a moment, neither one of them moving an inch, neither one of them saying a thing.

Roxy was the first one to speak, her tone neutral ''Glad to see you're up. Did the doctor come see you yet today?'' She nonchalantly walked towards the liquor cabinet by the fireplace and poured herself a glass as she spoke. Eggsy carefully followed her with his eyes, trying to decipher, to read the small clues that would confirm what he already knew in his heart.

Eggsy finally opened his mouth, after a long silence ''Where's your father?''

The boy watched as Roxy downed the whiskey in one gulp, seemingly ignoring his question. His eyes were still slightly wild and glassy from his illness, and he felt dizzy. Eggsy had rehearsed that question for the whole two hours he'd been waiting for her in the living room, his heart tight in his chest and not sure if he'd be able to ask it.

Roxy took her time putting her glass down and pouring herself another shot.

The boy grew impatient, and the words rolled out of his mouth without him being able to stop them ''I'm so sorry Roxy, I didn't...I didn't think it would go like this I-''

Eggsy stopped himself, choking on his words and not really knowing what to say anyway. He was waiting for Roxy to get mad at him, to scream, or cry, or laugh hysterically, to give him _anything_ but this cold silence. He should have told her. He should have reached out. Should, should, should...

After putting the dalmore bottle back in the liquor cabinet, Roxy sat herself in an arm chair in front of him, absentmindedly staring at the glass of whiskey in her hand.

''My father is fine, Eggsy. He's currently completing his physical therapy in a secret location in the Caribbean.''

Eggsy look at her, shocked and confused _''What?''_

She stared at the fireplace with tired eyes for a moment, her cheeks red from the alcohol and the heat of the flames ''Turns out, our Hungarian friend Mr. Miklossy is dying of pancreatic cancer. He has kept it a secret from family and friends, but your mother knew and she told me when she came here to see you. She used to clean at his house. One day months ago she found him passed out on the floor, having fainted from the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Doctors say he has about a year left, but that estimate is perhaps...slightly too optimistic.''

She turned to look at the confused boy ''I used some of my IT-knowledge to do a background check on Mr. Miklossy. He has a 16-year old daughter who lives with her grandmother in Birmingham. He is the sole provider for the family. Once he's gone they'll be left destitute, since his savings are but meager due to his intense gambling'' She paused to place her glass on the coffee table ''I offered to take care of his daughter and grandmother once he passes. And it wasn't too hard to make him accept. He has, after all, nothing to lose. I've already given them a property to live on here in London together with Mr. Miklossy. The girl will get a hefty monthly allowance for the rest of her life, ensuring she can live comfortably...and in exchange, Mr. Miklossy agreed to help us fake my father's death''

Eggsy was in shock. He and Lancelot had tried to find leverage they could use against the more prominent members of the mob, completely overlooking the Hungarian man.

He blinked his eyes, looking at Roxy in confusion ''How...but the mob wanted evidence about your father being dead. They were supposed to send someone to-''

''To check he was truly dead, yes. They sent Mr. Miklossy, and indeed he confirmed Mr. Morton had ''courageously sacrificed himself for the good of his family and shot himself in the head''. They took Mr. Miklossy's word for it, since he is their most trusted associate. We quickly and discreetly put my father on an airplane and shipped him to the other side of the ocean...he's staying with friends, last time I heard of him he was doing quite well, expected to achieve full recovery''

Roxy stared at the fireplace, her eyes filled with dancing flames. She had learned that when bringing down an enemy, instead of focusing on his head, it was sometimes more useful to look at at the tiny weeds growing at his feet.

Eggsy leaned back in his arm chair, looking exhausted and defeated ''I let you down, Rox. I'm so sorry''

She gave him a serious look ''No you didn't, Eggsy. This dangerous mess wasn't yours to sort out to begin with and I'm very sorry you got dragged into it. But I wish you had told me and asked me for help''

He nodded quietly, lost in thought. He could not believe that his own mum had been a hundred times more useful than him in sorting this mess.

Roxy looked at the distraught young man, her heart breaking a bit ''Eggsy, you've done an excellent job as a bodyguard. I could not have asked for more.''

''You're giving me way too much credit...''

''I am not, Eggsy. I give people the credit they deserve, no more and no less''

They both fell silent for a moment. Roxy eyed the coffee table in front of her, exhausted; there was always something getting in between of them, trying to keep them apart. Misunderstanding, or fear, or jealousy, or doubt. Drama. She was sad; she'd been that way for a while now. For very long actually. From way before this whole mess, before her birthday party, before Eggsy came into her life. This wasn't the life she'd imagined for herself.

Roxy turned to stare at the flames burning in the fireplace. The silence was too unbearable, so she started chatting absentmindedly, talking more to herself than to Eggsy ''Everyone at Cronos Inc. thinks he committed suicide, except Lancelot. The staff here at the mansion also think he's dead; I told the maids I'd be the one to 'give you the news' once you got better...It might seem cruel to have them think he's dead, but we really have to make sure the mob doesn't find out we faked his death.. '' She could feel the boy's eyes staring at her, but she dared not meet his gaze, carrying on with the chatter instead. She probably resembled Lancelot in that moment with her nervous rambling, whiskey in hand and all ''We even held a fake funeral on Sunday...most depressing thing you could imag-''

She almost didn't notice when Eggsy walked up to her and cupped her face with his hands, leaning in to capture her mouth in a fiery kiss.

 


End file.
